To Repair Twisted Knots
by Kenna Cat
Summary: A choice opens towards many paths. One choice brings around a different outcome. But between the mounting problems, can Eugene and Rapunzel untwist the corrupted tangles and repair the knots that bound them together? With the ones they love and care by their side, perhaps a happy ending isn't as impossible as it seems. Alternate Universe from Tower Scene.
1. Choices Lead to Paths

**Disclaimer: Tangled belongs to Walt Disney Pictures.**

* * *

**_Flashback - Bold and Italics_**

"Speech" - Double Quotes

_'Thoughts' - Italics and Single Quotes_

_"Singing and Animal Speech" - Italics and Double Quotes_

Narration - Nothing

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**To Repair Twisted Knots**

**Chapter One: Choices Lead To Paths**

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Flynn Rider's thoughts swam as he rode Maximus, the horse sprinting as fast as he could. Yet despite the flashing scenery flying past them, Flynn felt they were still going at a snail's pace.

He leaned slightly forward, a frown of determination etched deeply on his face. Why did nothing make sense? Confusion hit him more often that he liked these past couple of days. From meeting a girl with seventy feet of beautiful golden hair, parrying a sword-wielding horse with a frying pan, watching glowing hair with healing magical powers and unhelpful comments from a frog-chameleon, getting knocked out by Mark and Crick who refused the Crown, and a jailbreak by people who he clearly remembered hating him, Flynn didn't know nor cared how a heist for the Lost Princess's Crown could end up with a broken heart and a desperate need to redeem himself in the eyes of the girl he — grudgingly admitting — now loved.

Now that girl was in danger because of an idiotic mistake on his part. Guilt and despair clawed at his mind, and only the single-minded determination to save the girl, _Rapunzel_, kept him from breaking down on Maximus. He briefly pondered how Maximus would react to a twenty-four year old man sobbing like a child who lost track of where his mother was.

Somehow, the pain his heart felt was _so_, so much worse than just that. Even considering the incident five years ago, his emotional pain now seemed to trump it almost immediately.

The thought of the incident made his hand subconsciously move inside his vest, to the pocket right over his heart. The fabric changed as his hands brushed over it; Flynn could feel the patch of much tougher material that held the only possessions he kept close. He mentally sighed in relief as he felt the items contained within before dropping his hand back on the bouncing reins. With a quick glance at Maximus, he was relieved the horse didn't notice the gesture.

Looking forward again, Flynn noticed the cave entrance. Gripping the reins tightly, he steered Maximus towards the harmless-looking ivy vines. Thankfully, Maximus didn't question nor relent in his speed and plowed through the vines like Vladimir did to the guards back at the Royal Prison. He jumped off Maximus and ran up to the tower, breathing heavily with growing panic. Flynn nearly shouted Blondie's name but stopped before a sound could escape his mouth. Doubts filled his mind and suspicions kept his guard up.

What would happen if the mother was there? Would Blondie even accept him after what he seemingly had done? How long did he have to rescue her and hand her to Maximus before the guards come to drag him back to the gallows? The questions wanted to overtake him, but Flynn kept his calm and opted to search the base of the tower. The mother had to get in somehow, right?

He rounded the back of the tower, his hand frantically searching for some sort of handle. He felt Maximus's confused stare for choosing not to shout for Blondie, but he ignored the horse and kept searching. A crunch sounded from underneath his boots, and he looked down to see a wall of flowers. Quickly climbing the hill, he found clusters of stones surrounding a small arched doorway. A spiral stairway led into darkness that made the thief tense. Nonetheless he trudged up the stairs, trying to keep his steps silent and only partially succeeding. The shadows seemed to close around him, but he pushed his fear aside for concern for Blondie.

He expected to force open some sort of cellar door, but stumbled up to a small window of dimmed light instead. Only mildly surprised, Flynn forwent caution as he jumped through the entrance… only to meet a dagger coming straight at his face. He forced himself to dodge despite how paralyzed his legs felt. He gritted his teeth as the dagger cut deep into the side of cheek and dug into his shoulder. He rolled away when he felt the knife wrench itself from his shoulder by the attacker. He grabbed his arm tightly, looking up from where he crouched. He stared into the contempt-filled gray eyes of a middle-aged woman, her silvery black hair curled behind her onto a cloak covering a blood red dress. Flynn eyed the dagger in her hand, dripping with his blood, and his hand gripped his arm tighter. He could feel the blood dripping down his face and pooling into his clothes. He assumed this woman was the 'mother' Blondie had briefly mentioned.

Blondie's flip-out mood swings suggested the mother to be a kind but overprotective woman. He wasn't feeling the kind, and the overprotectiveness was a bit too extreme. Not really the 'gentle' image, if anyone bothered to ask for his opinion. Eugene agreed, though shot a look of concern to Flynn. Something felt off about it though…

A muffled sound distracted him from the mother only to stare at a gagged and bound Blondie. His eyes widened, his worry skyrocketing through the roof. Unfortunately, the look cost him as he looked back — too late — and the mother plunged the dagger into his chest. He vaguely heard the dagger hit the precious coin he kept in the secret pocket, but the pain mostly overwhelmed everything else. He could hear muffled screaming, but he looked up at the mother instead. Strange, he could see fear and desperation behind the disgust as they briefly locked eyes.

"Now look what you've done, Rapunzel."

Flynn somehow noted that there seemed to be a shaky edge to the mother's voice, but that was probably the blood loss messing with his head since it sounded familiar. A part of him felt enraged that the mother would blame Blondie for something she didn't even do. He watched helplessly as the mother grabbed the chains that bound Blondie, her wrists bruising and occasionally bleeding as she struggled. He weakly reached out to them, but his strength left him and his arm dropped back onto the cold tile floor.

"Oh don't worry, dear. Our secret will die with _him."_

More muffled yells followed and he swore he heard his name being called, but the shaky edge in the mother's voice never left and it seriously bothered him. He wondered if he was going crazy again after six years of trying to repair what little sanity he had back then. He lay limply on the floor, but managed to gather his breath despite the waves of pain crashing down on him from his chest.

"Why?" He rasped, but his voice seemed to silence the struggle between Blondie and the mother.

"Why what, _Flynn Rider_?" She seemed to spit out in disgust, but he could hear undertones of curiosity.

He could barely make out Blondie looking back and forth between them. He was fading in and out of consciousness fast, his vision blurred to smudges of dull colors and grays. And the shadows threatened to devour him; he could feel his body shaking slightly and his eyes glaze over. Funny, he thought he got rid of the shaking four years ago.

"Why do you… want her… so badly?"

She scoffed, as if the answer was obvious. Of course, he didn't really understand and waited for her to elaborate. He wished she hurried though; he didn't have much time. He could feel his life slipping through his hands and onto the floor where his blood pooled around him. But… didn't he deserve to die? After all the crimes he committed and the things he had done to Blondie, did he not deserve to descend into Hell where he knew he was destined to go?

Still, he was curious, and curiosity killed the cat.

And Flynn no longer had nine lives to use.

"She's my Flower! She's mine and I have to protect her and the Kingdom!" She started out angrily but softened, "I need her, I care for her… She's my daughter. I _love_ her."

The mother had briefly glanced lovingly at Rapunzel during her short admission, but it went unnoticed to Flynn. However, this wasn't the case for the princess who stared at her fake mother in intense surprise. The mother was looking at the floor now, not meeting either Flynn's or Rapunzel's eyes despite the muffled pleas of the latter. Flynn's vision had gone black completely, but he focused the last of his energy into speaking and hearing. A scoff escaped from the mother, and the shaky edge was back. Again, a ripple of familiarity flowed through what little left he felt.

"Not like _you_ would understand. I don't even know why I'm admitting this to a dead man."

At the mention of his impending death, he heard the renewed effort of Blondie through the rattle of chains, muffled yells, and struggling grunts from both her and the mother. He knew he was a dead man, barely breathing, and Blondie probably wasn't going to heal him in time, but he had to voice out his thoughts and one final goodbye to Blondie for both him and Eugene.

"Your voice… It was… shaking. Why? I'm probably… just imagining it, but you sound… heartbroken."

Heartbroken, that word finally fit what he desperately wanted to convey. It was the sound he had spent years training to eliminate from his own voice. Flynn heard the struggle stop, but he didn't know what was going on. He just felt so tired… He never felt this tired before. Not even the kingdom's biggest chase between Maximus, the Junkor Sisters, the Stabbington Brothers, and the Captain of the Guards and his gang had made him this tired.

Unbeknownst to the dying thief, Mother Gothel had reeled back as if struck. Her eyes were trained on the prone form of the man she just stabbed. Although she didn't realize, Flynn's words had rung true and struck a chord in her heart. However, Rapunzel took the opportunity to make a dash for Flynn only to be jerked back as the chains dug painfully into her wrists, blood dripping onto her hair. Rapunzel looked back to the terrified face of her fake mother who held the chains in an iron grip. The rattles of chains broke the silence once again; Gothel was pulling on the chains, looking for all the world like she wanted to get away from Flynn.

"Stop…" Flynn's voice echoed off the walls.

"What?" The mother replied, her voice now openly shaking. An accompanied muffle told Flynn that Blondie had heard too.

"You're… hurting her wrists."

At that, the mother must have looked and dropped the chains when he heard a rattle and a startled gasp. Heartfelt apologies and the clink of unlocked chains followed soon after. There was singing, but he could feel himself fading for good. He whispered his last words, knowing Blondie wouldn't be able to hear him. Eugene's message went first, then his, because Flynn Rider always had the last words. Eugene rolled his eyes upon hearing that.

"You were my new dream. I'll always love you, Rapunzel," Eugene whispered into the song while Flynn quipped, "This is how it should be, Blondie. You be well now."

With that he faded from reality as he listened to the lulling tones of the Healing Song. With his conscious gone and no strength left, Flynn's body finally stopped shaking as the shadows gobbled up the rest of his mind. His death went unnoticed to the other two occupants of the room as golden rays of sunlight filled the room and healed bleeding wrists.

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**This story was inspired by bStormhand's "Rapunzel Goes Home Extended Edition" and "The Trial of Mother Gothel", both excellent stories that are great reads for me. However, this story is my take on the possibility of Mother Gothel surviving, the connected worlds of the Disney princesses, and my own thoughts of Tangled. I don't have a Beta, so please excuse the occasional grammar mistake and strange writing style.**

**Thank you for reading my meager story. Please take the time to read and review. Please share your opinions and criticisms are most welcome.**

**[EDIT: Many thanks to Beta Wolfram-and-Hart-Sauron for correcting my many mistakes!]  
**

**- Kenna Cat**


	2. Love Is Just One Emotion

**Disclaimer: Tangled belongs to Walt Disney Pictures.**

* * *

**_Flashback - Bold and Italics_**

"Speech" - Double Quotes

_'Thoughts' - Italics and Single Quotes_

_"Singing and Animal Speech" - Italics and Double Quotes_

Narration - Nothing

* * *

**To Repair Twisted Knots**

**Chapter Two: Love Is Just One Emotion**

* * *

When she came to, Rapunzel was lying on her side in the middle of the tower. A cloth was tied painfully over her mouth and chains around her wrists bound her to the large wooden pillar behind her. Sounds came from her left, and she noticed Moth- the kidnapper packing things hastily while mumbling to herself. She tried feeling the chains on her wrists, but even the slightest twist brought about excruciating pain.

Rapunzel had never felt so betrayed, confused, excited, terrified, worried, loved and every other emotion she could think of in such a short amount of time. She wanted to scream, sob, laugh, write, paint, and express the thoughts bottled up inside of her in any way possible.

She wanted to run.

She wanted to run _free_.

To travel to anywhere and everywhere would be _her choice_.

Rapunzel had never felt this way before. The barrelful of emotions locked tight by the iron grips of Mothe- the kidnapper's teachings had kept her anchored to the tower for so many years. Now… now those iron grips had rusted from betrayal, and the sturdy wood of her self-control rotted from the revelation that _she_ was the Lost Princess. She felt like she was bursting at imaginary seams, her emotions roaring for liberation. She wanted to sprint through the outside forest to release all that she was, build from the old, and grasp at the edges of the new. She should have felt excitement and euphoria with just a dash of apprehension. Instead, she felt awful from the news of Eugene's innocence and soon-to-be death. Had it been her fault all along? Was she the reason Eugene was to hang when he should have easily escaped capture?

Events whooshed past her as a terrible tornado of memories. Everything started when Eugene had come through her window, without the use of her hair. Surprise after surprise built up excitement and curiosity as she discovered Eugene was a man, had no pointy teeth, had a satchel filled with oddities, and most of all, he wasn't after her hair… or more like he didn't even know about what it could do.

Then she got him to agree to take her to see the Sky Lanterns. She had _actually _convinced him… with a few good frying pans to the head and Pascal's help. That wasn't the point though: she would finally see the lanterns she always dreamed of watching up close! She had been so excited and worried from getting to fulfill her dream and from the potential punishment she would get should M- the kidnapper ever find out. Thinking back guiltily, Rapunzel now realized that Eugene probably had a hard time dealing with her internal conflict the first few hours she was outside the tower.

Then she had met such great people at the Snuggly Duckling, despite their outer appearance and her initial fear. They had been kind enough help them escape from the guards. Too bad they still caught up to them anyway, along with two scary thugs and a lovable horse. One thing led to the next and they were stuck in a cave that was quickly filling up with water and she hadn't had the time to fully process _everything _that happened before then.

They ended up alive, secrets were shared and simple backstories were given. Eugene nearly freaked out even though he didn't admit it. When Eugene went to get firewood, Mothe- the kidnapper had come to warn her, which turned out to be a rouse all along, but Eugene came back and she felt so exhausted and troubled and unsure. Sadly, Eugene's wake-up call the next morning brought back the stress and tension she just slept off. At least Maximus had joined them with a very reluctant truce on the horse's part. Eugene had surprisingly held out his hand first.

From exploring the city, hiding from guards, and dancing with the villagers, Rapunzel couldn't have asked for a greater day, and then Eugene got a gondola to 'get a decent seat'. It was more than decent; it was _amazing_. Then the greatest day of her life turned into the worst when she thought Eugene had betrayed her. The ordeal with the Stabbington Brothers made everything look like dark and scary _monsters_, but Mo- the kidnapper was suddenly there and Rapunzel had fallen right into her trap.

Coming back to the tower only to realize she was the Lost Princess and everything M- the kidnapper did could have been a lie broke her even more, but she knew she needed to get _out_. She wanted to desperately go somewhere far away from her fake mother, from the kingdom, from Eugene. Had everything always been one humongous lie? How could she have been so stupid? Everything rounded back on itself as she asked herself the same questions: Had it been her fault all along? Was she the reason Eugene was going to hang?

Rapunzel wanted to cry, but crying had brought about more punishment than sympathy before. She had been knocked out by her faithful frying pan, chained and gagged, and desperate for help.

She couldn't trust anyone because Mother was hurting her, Eugene had left her, and she couldn't even understand herself. How was she supposed to take a revelation about the Lost Princess when she was simply Rapunzel for eighteen years of her life?

Rapunzel almost didn't believe her ears when she heard Maximus outside the window, but the look on her false mother's face absolutely terrified her. For once, she viewed her kidnapper as a frightening monster, like men with pointy teeth. However, Maximus was just a horse; he couldn't exactly fit into the tower to rescue her. Mothe- the kidnapper had looked out the window, making sure to keep hidden, when she suddenly whipped her head in Rapunzel's direction. She had thought her false mother was going to punish her; a knife was gripped tightly between the woman's nimble hands.

As soon as Moth- the monster's head turned, Eugene's head popped out from the hole in the floor. Rapunzel's mind erupted with relief and happiness. It was him, it was Eugene. He had come back. He wasn't dead and maybe his love wasn't a lie. He had come to rescue her.

A flash of scarlet and Mother — the kidnapper — was right in front of Eugene. Rapunzel screamed at him to run, to dodge, to roll, to _move_, but the cloth over her mouth muffled any attempts at coherent speech. She had never felt so useless. Thankfully, Eugene did roll away, but not without getting injured first.

_'Eugene! Y-your cheek. Your shoulder! O-oh my-, There's too much blood!' _Rapunzel thought.

She made the mistake of calling out to him. They locked eyes, and Rapunzel could see concern mixed with anger as she stared into those deep light brown eyes. The woman, however, took the moment's hesitation and pierced Eugene in the chest.

The sound of metal hitting metal and the knife plunging into flesh boomed loudly in her ears. Moth- the kidnapper had hit so close to his heart. Watching Eugene's body fall to the ground ever so slowly crushed her heart as she screamed for him. Then Mother, the kidnapper, was speaking something to her, but couldn't bring herself to care because Eugene was on the floor _dying_ and she couldn't do _anything_. The monster pulled on the chains, and she could feel something wet drip down her wrists and pain pounded on the walls of her mind. She managed to keep focused since she could heal herself later, but Eugene couldn't, _didn't_ have much time.

He looked at her, an arm extending out to her. Oh, how desperately she wanted to return the gesture and wrap her arms around the dying thief. His arm dropped back to the floor and she screamed into the cloth so loudly that her throat had gone hoarse.

_'Why can't I do anything right?!'_ Rapunzel shouted in her mind.

Then she heard his voice, and relief washed over her. Eugene was still alive. She could still do something, if only the chains would break from her efforts.

"Why?" Eugene spoke. His voice sounded so meek.

"Why what, _Flynn Rider_?" Her false mother replied with clear contempt, and Rapunzel was afraid the woman would punish Eugene _even more_.

She looked between Eugene and Mo- the monster, worry building in the pieces of her shattered heart. She watched as Eugene's eyes dull in color. Unable to stand seeing Eugene's pain-filled eyes, Rapunzel forced herself to examine the rest of his body in detail, from the small hairs of his goatee to the seams of his well-worn vest. She didn't want to believe that this might be the last time she may ever see him, but the thought forced its way into her heart and permeated through her entire being.

"Why do you… want her… so badly?" He asked.

Rapunzel couldn't help but wonder as well. Why was she so unlucky that Mothe- the kidnapper snatched her from the arms of her real parents? Why was the monster so desperate to manipulate every good thing in the world to something broken and rotting? The woman scoffed, and Rapunzel felt herself bristle in anger.

_'How dare you mock Eugene! He's dying, and yet you ridicule him just like you do me! How dare you!'_ She thought fiercely.

The monster's reply cut off her train of thought.

"She's my Flower! She's _mine_ and I have to protect her and the Kingdom!" She started with defiance, soon replaced with gentle admittance, "I need her, I care for her… She's my daughter. I _love_ her."

And the monst- the woman had looked at her briefly. For a small moment, Rapunzel could see the kindness, the concern, the gentle warmth she always remembered seeing so very long ago. The look had been short, but one look was all Rapunzel really needed. Hope blossomed, and she felt a part of her world shakily piece itself back together. Suddenly, her heart clenched as uncertainty and doubt tainted the bright emotion.

_'Could Mother actually care for me, love me like she said? But she had done so much bad... Kidnapping me, confining me, manipulating everything and everything around me, stabbing Eugene, and she could do more. How could she be so wrong for something so good? But the look in her eyes, the warmth and gentleness weren't false. But is that love? I thought Eugene loved me, but the look he had was different than the one Mother gave. Mother's always had a cold edge to it. How long had I seen it there, yet why was it missing now?'_

Rapunzel pleaded with Mother, to look her in the eyes and silently answer the questions that flooded her mind. She felt utterly confused and torn, two different sides battling within her for answers she just didn't have. She should have been fighting against Mother, should have been berating Eugene, should have fled from the tower, but now she wasn't so sure what to do. Rapunzel gazed intently at Mother as if willing her to look up from the floor and into her eyes. When Mother did indeed look up, Rapunzel thought for a moment that she actually succeeded. However, Mother avoided her eyes and replied in the same tone as when she initially confronted her about the Lost Princess.

"Not like _you_ would understand. I don't even know why I'm admitting this to a dead man."

Instantly, Rapunzel remembered Eugene was on the floor, his blood still pouring from his wounds, and dying with each passing second. She crawled to him, but jerked back when Mother pulled the chains again. She was just a bit closer, just a bit more and she would be next to Eugene. Her surprise attempt made her false mother stumble forward a bit, but with renewed efforts on both sides of the struggle, Rapunzel could feel her own blood drip down from her wrists.

"Your voice… It was… shaking. Why? I'm probably… just imagining it, but you sound… heartbroken." Eugene's voice once again cut through the quiet struggles.

Rapunzel blinked in surprise as she registered the question. Was Mother truly heartbroken? Looking back at her mother, Rapunzel's eyes widened at the damaged look on Mother's face. Her mother was staring at Eugene, making her remember that he needed help. She jumped for him, but Mother seemed to realize what she wanted because the chains kept her bound in place. She looked back again to see fear on Mother's face, and Rapunzel felt the urge to gather Mother in her arms. However, Eugene needed her aid more and she struggled against the restraints with renewed determination.

"Stop…" Eugene's voice came out stronger, enough to bounce off the walls.

"What?" Mother shakily replied.

Rapunzel called out in hope as she heard the familiar and confident voice of his. He just needed to hang on a little longer and she would be there. All he needed to do was _hang on_. Just a little… bit… more…

"You're… hurting her wrists." Eugene explained, his voice laced with pain.

_'He actually noticed? He should be concerned about himself right now!'_ Rapunzel thought worriedly as she paused. A gasp behind her distracted her for a moment. The clatter of chains rang loudly in her ears, but the pressure around her wrists temporarily increased before completely vanishing. She felt Mother hug her while bunching her hair around her wrists. She vaguely noticed that the knife had been dropped onto the floor, forgotten amidst the panic.

"Oh, Rapunzel! I'm so sorry! Are you okay? Oh, of course you're not! Otherwise you wouldn't be bleeding. Here, let me heal you up." Mother rambled so fast she barely caught the words.

Rapunzel felt dizzy from the sudden release of pain, and Mother's arms felt so warm. She closed her eyes contently despite the gag still wrapped tightly around her mouth. She focused on the gentle, lulling voice of her adopted mother singing, and remembered the times when Mother would hold her when she was frightened. She reminisced in the times when Mother would sing lullabies, read stories, and sing her to sleep with the soft golden glow of her hair.

"_Flower, gleam and glow.  
__Let your power shine.  
__Make the clock reverse.  
__Bring back what once was mine…_

_Heal what has been hurt.  
__Change the Fates' design.  
__Save what has been lost.  
__Bring back what once was mine…_

_What once was mine."_

When Mother finally finished the song, she pulled back and her hands went to the gag. Once Mother untied the knot, Rapunzel brought a hand to her mouth the rub the soreness out. Shyly, she looked up the eyes of her adopted mother and saw warmth and what she believed to be love. There was no steely edge for once, no cold tinge that always made her nervous. She smiled and watched as Mother smiled back. Rapunzel hugged her again, feeling her adopted mother reciprocate the gesture.

"Mother…" Rapunzel mumbled.

"I'm sorry Rapunzel. I just wanted to protect you, the Flower, and the Kingdom." Mother whispered into her ear. She didn't get what Mother meant by protecting the kingdom — Wouldn't Corona benefit from the return of the Lost Princess? — but she didn't care. She buried her head deeper into Mother's shoulder and opened her misty eyes. Panic shot through her as she realized she was looking at a still-wounded Eugene.

"Eugene!" She screamed as she tore away from her adopted mother's embrace.

Rapunzel heard Mother gasp and follow close behind. She nearly tripped over her own hair, but her focus lay solely on Eugene. She knelt down, gathering his head in her arms. Shaking gently, she tried to get a response from him.

"Eugene? Eugene?! Please, say something!"

"Rider?" Mother's hesitant voice mixed with her frantic pleas.

Her adopted mother brought a hand to his neck and paused. For what seemed like eternity, no one moved. Then, Mother gasped, her hand pulled back, and she started gathering hair. Rapunzel realized what Mother was trying to do, and began singing. Mother had already begun pressing her hair on the chest wound. Rapunzel watched as the wound glowed underneath the vest, and she finished singing with a sigh of relief.

But minutes passed and Eugene didn't wake up.

Unable to take the silence, Rapunzel broke down in hysteria, "No, no, no, no, Eugene. Don't go, stay with me, Eugene."

Mother had been oddly silent. Rapunzel looked up at her with eyes brimming with unfallen tears. Her adopted mother looked solemnly down at Eugene, a look of pity crossing her face. The look only increased the despair that tormented her very soul, breaking the last remnants of relief she felt moments before. Rapunzel looked at Mother questioningly, wanting to know the reason the Flower didn't work. It had always worked, so why hadn't it worked _now_ when she needed it most?

"Sometimes… sometimes the Flower won't work because… because it is not strong enough to bring back something that is lost forever. The Flower is not strong enough to bring back someone who h-has… died. Not unless you relinquish all of its magic for his life." Mother quietly explained, but her words thundered in Rapunzel's mind.

_'And in exchange, my own shall be forfeited,'_ went unspoken, but Rapunzel still caught the words.

She felt her heart break all over again. She had lost everything she knew, gained it all back, only to have her new dream ripped away from the life she barely pieced back together. She couldn't choose between Eugene and Mother because she loved them both and couldn't bear to part with either of them. Nothing could sooth the sorrow she felt, not even the love Mother gave her. Unable to bear the pain any longer, she sobbed over Eugene. Her tears fell onto his chest, soaking into his vest, straight over his heart. Mother looked away, a small tear escaping from her eyes.

Unnoticed by the two, an object in Eugene's vest, soaked by Rapunzel's tears, glowed with pale white light before growing dark once more. Slowly, ever so slowly, Rapunzel's hair began to glow golden once more.

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**Thank you for continuing to read my meager story. Please take the time to read and review. Share your opinions and thoughts and criticisms are most welcome.**

**[EDIT: Chapter Two has been beta-ed as of 4-13-2014]**

**Acknowledgements: **

**Thank you nikkibecket1997 for your favorite. Thank you ****pokefan366 for your follow. ****Thank you silvistangled for reviewing and taking interest in this story. ****Thank you bStormhands for your inspiring stories and encouragement. Your advice was extremely helpful! ****Thank you A-Dream's-Nightmare for taking the time to read your story even though you have yours to write. May you bring your story to new heights as I struggle to keep up.**

**And many thanks to Wolfram-and-Hart-Sauron for your wonderful review and your offer to be my Beta for this story. Without your help, my story would have a lot more mistakes than I would have realized. I hope I haven't made things too confusing, and I apologize if I already have.**

**- Kenna Cat**


	3. Something Forgotten That Once Was

**Disclaimer: Tangled belongs to Walt Disney Pictures.**

* * *

**_Flashback - Bold and Italics_**

"Speech" - Double Quotes

_'Thoughts' - Italics and Single Quotes _

_"Singing and Animal Speech" - Italics and Double Quotes_

Narration - Nothing

* * *

**To Repair Twisted Knots**

**Chapter Three: Something Forgotten That Once Was**

* * *

When Eugene finally regained his senses, he noted that he was kneeling and someone was hugging him. It felt gentle and warm, almost making him fall asleep again. He opened his eyes, but found that his head rested on a woman's shoulder. He looked down to see strong male arms hugging both him and the woman. Taking in his surroundings, Eugene looked around to what seemed like a noble's room.

Suddenly, the urge to sleep drastically increased. He could feel his eyes drooping, blinking constantly as he tried to fight a losing battle. He wondered where he was and who was hugging him, but sleep silently called to him despite his questions.

"Who…" Eugene managed to speak.

"It's not your time yet, Eugene." The male voiced out gently, but Eugene could hear great sorrow behind the words.

_'Oh, that's right. Flynn and I died.'_ He thought as he remembered being stabbed in the chest.

"Am I dead?"

"No, but you were close to, dear." This woman the female spoke.

Her tone was also laced with an odd mix of grief and happiness. Eugene wondered if he knew these people, but being unable to look at them, he could only continue to inquire inside his thoughts. He assumed that he must have been important to them for the woman to call him 'dear' and for the man to know his true name. Perhaps they were the parents he never got to know, and the thought made him feel loved down to his very core. Even if they weren't his parents, Eugene let himself pretend that he was part of a loving family once again. Maybe they were the younger selves of the Elders; he had missed them dearly when they died. Sadly, he felt himself slip deeper into slumber.

"Oh…" He muttered quietly as the dark claimed him once more.

It felt like an eternity passed before he could sense something again. He heard a groan, and he turned to look at Flynn. The thief was curled up in a fetal position, one hand gripping his vest over the wound. Eugene slowly got up and reached over to him, shaking him gently. He ignored the dull ache coming from his chest and shoulder, more concerned about Flynn. Surprisingly, he also felt a bit of the warmth he felt from when his assumed-parents hugged him.

"Flynn? What's wrong?" Eugene asked worriedly.

"I'm fine. Just tired. Exhausted more like." He murmured, gradually uncurling himself and sitting up.

His hand never stopped clutching the area over the wound. Eugene highly doubted he was 'fine', but Flynn had always been stubborn when it came to things like this. Thus, he went ahead and lightly pried Flynn's hand off to check the wound. Flynn didn't protest, choosing to keep silent as he methodically unbuttoned the vest and the shirt underneath.

"Nothing's wrong, Eugene. Blondie managed to heal us while you were out. It's just the memories." Flynn spoke up after he finished the task.

True to the thief's words, the wound had closed, but a small scar marked what once had been a fatal injury. Eugene knew that if he unbuttoned his own clothes, he would find an identical scar marring his once smooth skin. A grimace passed over his face briefly; he hated scars, but he let it go since this time had been a _very _close call.

"Go. I'm still really tired. Just be careful for any pain." Flynn warned as he flopped back.

Eugene nodded, closed his eyes, and felt himself drift away from Flynn. Suddenly, pain shot through his chest and shoulder, but Eugene had been prepared for it. He shot a grateful nod to Flynn, to which he responded with a lazy wave. Opening his eyes had been a lot harder than he thought, but he managed. He was lying down with his back to the floor. Looking down at his chest, Eugene caught of small glimpse of gold and white before it faded back to blonde. Making a note to thank Rapunzel later, he silently took a deep breath. Hearing finally came back, but he was surprised to hear sobs. His eyes traveled upward to see Rapunzel's tear-stained face and he panicked.

He tried calling out to her, but his voice came out as a raspy gasp. He tried again and managed to get her attention. Thankfully, near-dying hadn't made him mute.

"Rapunzel, it's okay. It's _okay_. Please… please stop crying. Can you tell me what's going on?" Eugene asked urgently.

A gasp escaped her mouth as she looked up at him. He heard another one come from his side, but before he could look to see who was beside him, Rapunzel tackled him in a vicious hug. He felt his uninjured shoulder grow wet from tears, and now he was seriously getting nervous. Had something happened while he was knocked out?

"Rapunzel?" His voice had gone slightly higher in tone.

"Oh, Eugene!" She replied.

He still couldn't get why Rapunzel was miserably crying —Her magic had worked, didn't it? — but his arms were full with Rapunzel and he didn't have the heart to ask what was wrong. Instead, he hugged her back gently, internally wincing at the vice-like grip she had on him. He wanted to nuzzle her, but couldn't when the cut on his cheek painfully reminded him that he hadn't been completely healed. So, he sat there waiting for her to pull back, but someone spoke from his left.

"Rider? How…?"

Eugene looked in the direction of the voice only to see the very person who stabbed him. His eyes widened, and he nearly went hysterical. Fear clamped down on his soul and he tried to scramble backwards, bringing Rapunzel along with him. His movements made her look up at him, but he was too terrified to answer her questioning look. She looked back at the mother for a moment before comprehension dawned on her face. The mother must have understood as well, because they both began speaking at the same time.

"Rider! Wait! I'm not going to hurt you!"

"Eugene! It's okay. Mother was just scared! She didn't want to lose me."

He barely understood what either of them said. Their yells jumbled together made everything seem louder and he clutched his head in pain, drowning out the sound. He quickly opened his eyes to stare into the concern-filled eyes of Rapunzel. He took deep breaths until he could hear again, but kept his guard up in case the mother decided to spring on them. He highly doubted that would happen though since Rapunzel was so close to him.

"Rapunzel, what's going on?" Eugene asked cautiously.

"Um… Please don't freak out." She looks shyly up at him.

He blinked, now regretting asking her the question. Last time she said that, she threw magical healing hair at him as a surprise. Nonetheless, he was the one who asked, so Eugene nodded and braced himself for something outrageous.

"Okay. So, Mother was just scared, because she thought you were going to take me away from her forever. But that wasn't really true, was it? She didn't know that though, but she was right in front of you. A-and then she hurt you r-really b-bad… A-and I just didn't know what to do. You were lying on the floor, and t-there was just _so _much _blood_. I couldn't help you a-" She rambled, quickly growing tearful.

"Whoa, Rapunzel! It's okay. I'm here. I'm okay." He spoke in calming tones.

_'Flynn, mind explaining?' _Eugene asked the thief.

_'Sorry. It's a bit fuzzy for me as well. You're going to have to ask her what happened.' _Flynn replied, a touch of sympathy present in his voice. Eugene sighed before turning back to Rapunzel.

"Want to try that again?" A hesitant nod. "What happened after I got hurt?"

"Mother started dragging me away from you." At the mention of the mother, Eugene risked a glance in the woman's direction. She was staring intensely at them, but made no movement to get closer. Eugene noted the pleading look she had in her eyes. "And then you started talking, and you asked why Mother wanted me so badly."

A flash of memory hit him.

**- . - . -**

**_There was so much pain, and he couldn't stop himself from shaking. _**

**"Why do you… want her… so badly?"_ Flynn asked with gritted teeth. There was a scoff, and a long and painful silence._**

******- . - . -**

Eugene winced, and the world spun too fast too quickly. Holding his head, he waited for the spinning to stop. He vaguely heard Rapunzel's concerned call, but any attempts to answer her lead to more spinning. The scar on his chest throbbed painfully, and exhaustion settled into his bones. Flynn softly scolded him for trying to talk when he clearly wasn't in the condition to.

He opened his eyes for what seemed like the hundredth time. Rapunzel asked him if he was okay, but he glanced to his side instead. Somehow, the mother had come beside them, hands held out, but not quite touching him. He quickly tensed, but slightly relaxed when she made gestures of surrender. The tension drained what little energy he had, and he felt his body slump against the wall. He didn't even know when they had moved him against it.

"Eugene?" He heard Rapunzel say when he could finally hear again.

"Sorry. I don't think it's a good idea to continue."

She nodded, and he saw the mother look apologetic. He looked between Rapunzel and the mother, noting the loving gaze shared between them whenever their attention wasn't focused on him. He weakly brought a hand to his cheek, noting that the wound had been healed. A touch on the shoulder also led to the same conclusion. Then phantom pain shot through his shoulder, and he swiftly grabbed hold of it, enduring the wave of pain that crashed down on him.

"Eugene? Are you still hurt?" Rapunzel asked after he finally let go of his shoulder.

He shook his head. "No, just some lingering pain. I'll be okay, really."

She looked at him doubtfully, and then turned to the mother. Eugene was starting to get tired of calling the woman 'the mother', but he unfortunately didn't know her name.

"Mother, why is Eugene still feeling pain? Doesn't the Flower take away all the pain too? He's not… you know…" She sounded pained at the end, and he frowned.

"Perhaps… since he did not exactly heal immediately because of what happened, there might be some pain still left over." The mother replied. Eugene felt left out, apparently having missed an entire conversation he could not remember. "We know the Flower is still working on him. The cut on his cheek is gone and there's no scar. Deeper wounds probably require more power, something we do not have."

Rapunzel looked down sadly. Now that wouldn't do. That sad look just didn't suit her beautiful face. Something had to be done.

"It's alright." Two heads swiveled to look at him, making him feel a bit awkward. He shot a loving look to the younger one. "Rapunzel, you've already healed everything. There's nothing a good rest won't fix. So, thank you. I probably wouldn't be feeling as well without you."

She sniffled, but gave her best attempt at a smile. He smiled back encouragingly. An awkward silence soon followed. The mother was looking everywhere except for them, Rapunzel kept fidgeting, and Eugene kept gripping his left shoulder every time pain shot through his chest and arm. Having enough of the silence, Eugene decided to be the icebreaker.

"How about some introductions? I'm Eugene Fitzherbert, most commonly known as Flynn Rider. What about you?" He asked to Rapunzel. To his surprise, the mother answered first after a hesitant pause.

"Well, um... I-I'm Eleanor Toute Gothel de la Riviére… but, well- It's quite long isn't it? Y-you may call me Mother Gothel… Or Gothel would fine as well. It would be weird to hear y-you call me 'Mother'."

He gave Gothel a blank stare. Eugene turned to Rapunzel, prompting her to speak as well.

"Um, well… I'm Rapunzel, and I just found out that I'm… I'm the Lost Princess." She stated shyly.

He blinked, taking a moment to make sure he heard that right. When Flynn confirmed that he had heard it as well, his mind went into shock. The information answered _so _many questions and brought up a ton of problems all at once. Magic blonde hair that glows gold and heals, lanterns on her birthday, locked in a tower for eighteen years, and a mother who look years younger than the wanted poster could all be explained away by the simple sentence. However, her real parents needed to have her daughter returned. He couldn't exactly waltz back into the kingdom, especially not after the jailbreak. The love he had for her wasn't going to fly over the Royals that well either.

The dazed look he had when he got lost in thought must have worried Rapunzel because she soon called out his name. Eugene turned to her and forced a smile, showing her that he was okay. He was still exhausted though, not that he would ever tell her.

The thought of the kingdom reminded him that the guards would arrive at any minute now from following Maximus's trail. He turned to Gothel, the Kidnapper, and mustered the courage to talk civilly with her. He had been avoiding conversing with her, but the harsh encouragement from Flynn helped ease his fear slightly. That warm lingering feeling in his heart had also helped.

"The guards. They're probably coming any minute." He informed.

Gothel looked grim, but stood up regally. Rapunzel stayed by his side, something he was grateful for, with her eyes trained on Gothel. The mother looked at him with soft eyes, yet Eugene still couldn't bring himself to trust them. His body still subconsciously tensed, but she either ignored it or didn't notice.

"Can you stand?" The mother asked.

Taking several deep breaths, Eugene sluggishly — achingly — pulled himself up, using the wall as a clutch. He felt Rapunzel's hands hover around him should he fall. He had to concentrate solely on moving and keeping himself upright; therefore, he missed the nod Gothel gave to him.

"Let's go meet them. Rapunzel, grab anything you want to bring with you. We can come back with your parents another time if you forgot something." Eugene vaguely registered the nod she gave to the mother. He waited for Rapunzel to come back while he watched Gothel grab things and stuff them into a half-finished bag. Rapunzel came back, and he noted the cloth embroidered with the Coronian symbol. A small doll, three books, a sewing and knitting kit, and a small paint kit were bundled in her arms.

"Come now, but not too fast. Are you sure you can do this, Rider?"

Eugene nodded, but was slightly irritated that she called him 'Rider'. Flynn gave a small comforting pat on the back and told him to ignore it. Getting down the stairs made his wounds feel fresh despite knowing they had long since closed over. The stairway was dark, and time seemed to stretch forever before the bright green grass of the outside world appeared. By the time he finally reached the bottom, Eugene was just about ready to collapse onto the ground. A neigh reminded him that Maximus was down here, and for some reason, he didn't want the horse to see he wounds. His arm gripped his left shoulder as he tried his best to use his arm to hide the blood-stained vest. Leaning heavily on the tower, he watched Rapunzel go first, calling out to Max.

"Maximus! You came to rescue me too, didn't you boy?" A happy neigh came, and Eugene smiled softly.

Flynn scoffed. _'Stupid Horse.'_

Eugene rolled his eyes, knowing that Flynn was grateful for the horse's help. He glanced at Gothel, who lingered in the shadows behind him. He wasn't sure if she stayed because of him or if she was afraid of Maximus, but he felt uncomfortable being alone with her. Shaking his thoughts off, he continued to trudge around to the front when the sun beamed gentle rays of warmth. When he could finally see Max and Rapunzel, he stopped and supported himself against the tower. He watched as Gothel hesitantly continued past him.

"Oh, Maximus! This is my adopted mother, Mother Gothel. Mother, this is Maximus."

Max snorted, looking furious at Gothel.

"Hello, Maximus. I'm sorry for all the trouble I have caused. Will you forgive this silly old woman for trying to protect her daughter?"

Max snorted once, and looked away. After a few seconds, he nodded curtly before looking around. Eugene wondered what the horse was doing when Maximus zeroed in on him. He realized the horse had been looking for him, but he was too tired to react. He straightened as best as he could and tried to look confident despite the one arm he used to hide the blood. Max froze a couple of feet in front of him, sniffed him, then pulled back. Eugene wondered why neither Rapunzel nor Gothel made a sound as the horse glared at him.

The horse gently but firmly took his hand and pried it away from his shoulder. Unable to gather the strength to stop him no matter how many deep breaths he took, Eugene looked at nothing in particular. Unsurprisingly, he felt pain shoot through it from the release in pressure. As a result, he flinched.

A stern neigh broke the silence.

"_What happened to you?" _Maximus seemed to say. Eugene wondered when he had suddenly been able to understand horse.

"Nothing, Max. Nothing happened at all."

A snort and a gesture with his head. _"Then why do I smell blood?"_

"Shouldn't you be worrying about Rapunzel?"

Max replied with an angry neigh. _"You look like you're going to keel over any minute!"_

"I'm fine, Max. Just drop it."

Eugene could tell Max was about to argue, but the sound of hooves interrupted what he was going to say. Guards suddenly burst into the clearing, led by the Captain of the Guard. Rapunzel yelped and hid behind Gothel who wrapped protective arms around her. The woman looked confident and proud despite the danger she was in as Kidnapper of the Lost Princess, though he was sure the guards didn't know that. After briefly checking the contents of his pocket, his hand was back on his shoulder again, and he tensed as he locked eyes with the Captain. The man raised his crossbow, but abruptly looked up in surprise when Max covered for Eugene.

A frown crossed Eugene's face. There were multiple bows aimed at him and Max and a few aimed at Rapunzel and Gothel. Already, he didn't like how the situation was turning out, but exhaustion finally caught up to him as his legs buckled underneath him. He fell to his knees, one hand planted firmly on the ground.

"Eugene!" _'Rapunzel.'_

"Rider!" _'Gothel.'_

A frantic neigh close by rang in his ears. _'Maximus.'_

He could have sworn he heard a chirping sound as well. _'Pascal?' _He had wondered where the chameleon went to.

Flynn tried to help him as well, though knowing it was a futile effort. He could hear confused murmurs from the guards, and footsteps approach him. Eugene could honestly say he was nervous about what would happen next; he didn't have the strength to run, let alone move. Pain still sent spasms through his body, and the Captain probably wouldn't be too gentle. Rapunzel was running toward him, and he watched as the crossbows followed her with deadly precision. Yet despite the dire situation, the warmth from before seemed to bloom inside his heart.

It was strange, because… ever since he had woken up, he felt like he had forgotten something important. And no matter how he tried, he failed to pin down the elusive feeling. The footsteps stopped, and so did the sound. Everything had become eerily still; even the wind had vanished from the small clearing.

A shadow loomed over him, and he weakly looked up into the glaring eyes of the Captain of the Guards.

* * *

**Another chapter completed. Thank you for sticking with my story, and I hope you have enjoyed the chapter. ****Please take the time to read and review. Is the story bad, good, confusing, or exciting? ****Share your opinions and thoughts! Criticisms are most welcome.**

**[EDIT: Chapter Three has been beta-ed as of ****4-14-2014]**  


**Acknowledgements: **

**Thank you silvistangled for reviewing once again! I'm glad you like the story.**

**Once again, thank you ****Wolfram-and-Hart-Sauron for being an awesome Beta and correcting my mistakes so quickly. I'm sorry if reading and editing has taken up much of your time. It's an honor to have you as my Beta. **

**- Kenna Cat**


	4. Problems Of Inevitability

**Disclaimer: Tangled belongs to Walt Disney Pictures.**

* * *

**_Flashback - Bold and Italics_**

"Speech" - Double Quotes

_'Thoughts' - Italics and Single Quotes _

_"Singing and Animal Speech" - Italics and Double Quotes_

Narration - Nothing

* * *

**To Repair Twisted Knots**

**Chapter Four: Problems Of Inevitability **

* * *

Captain Lukas Fidel harrumphed irritably as he and his soldiers followed Maximus's trail. The audacity Rider had for taking his own horse annoyed Lukas to no end. Fortunately, Rider had been in too much of a hurry to cover his tracks. Lukas entertained the possibility that the thief was making a break for the Coronian border, but the direction of the trail stated otherwise. A part of him wished Rider _had_ headed for the border, so that the thief would finally stop bothering the kingdom. The ideal situation, however, would obviously be the death of Flynn Rider at the hands of justice.

He sighed, pausing to look at the surrounding forest as his men continued to pursue the hoof prints indented deeply into the ground. The thought of Rider made him tense in anger. They had been _so close_ to hanging that wretched thief! He had finally gained the official documents this morning that would guarantee a death sentence without a trial, and by the King himself. For once, no one in the Aureole Council had objected.

Now, Rider was _seriously_ grating on his last nerve.

Ever since his appearance in the kingdom five years ago, Rider had been an ever-growing thorn in the kingdom's side. With each successful heist completed, the thief's boldness and arrogance grew. Even bounty hunters sent after him proved to be futile. Every passing crime eventually led up to the ultimate felony of stealing the Crown of the Lost Princess three days ago, and everything seemed to grow worse for the already desperate Royals. Lukas swore revenge on Rider as he had watched painfully from the side as King Harold held his gently sobbing wife. Lukas would personally see to it that Rider would hang for his crimes before the King and Queen.

Chasing the thief through the forest had been embarrassing when he got knocked off of Maximus like a ragdoll. How did Rider even _do _that? It was even more humiliating when he got knocked out while armed and by a _frying pan_ of all things. And just when he _finally _had the intolerable thief in his clutches, Rider escaped because of the Snuggly Duckling Thugs while he was knocked out again, probably by a frying pan, just to mock him. At least they had rounded up the thugs and locked them in one large cell. He would deal with _them_ later.

Jumping through a very familiar tree, he caught up with the rest of his men as they stopped in front of a stone wall covered in ivy. Confused looks passed between his men. The trail led straight into the wall with no other signs of another path taken, leading only to one conclusion. Mustering up his courage and bracing himself for impact, he tugged at the reigns and shot towards the wall. Lukas heard shouts of concern, soon replaced by gasps of surprise as he passed through the ivy and disappeared into a small cave.

Quickly following the Captain, they stumbled upon a large clearing. The first thing that caught Lukas's eyes was Rider and Maximus arguing, followed by the tall tower behind them. A yelp turned his sight towards a girl with blonde hair and a woman wearing a cloak. Turning back, Lukas locked his eyes with Rider, promising a slow and painful death. He raised his crossbow and heard his men do the same, though some had pointed at the young girl and woman. Suddenly, white filled his vision, and Lukas looked up in shock as Maximus stood between him and Rider. Before he could question why, he heard a thud as Rider fell to his knees along with various shouts of concern. He glanced briefly at his men: Had they shot Rider without his signal? However, his men only gave negative responses.

"Eugene!" The girl shouted, causing him to turn back to the scene. He wondered who Eugene was.

"Rider!" The woman seemed concerned for the thief, perhaps an accomplice?

Surprisingly, Maximus had neighed in worry for the thief, and Lukas angrily clenched his fists at the betrayal. Having enough of these distractions, Lukas stalked towards the thief who was kneeling on the ground, one hand on the ground for support. Although killing him now would be simple enough, publically executing the thief would bring some morale to the kingdom, something Corona desperately needed. Making a note when Maximus did not interfere, he loomed over Rider who lazily looked up.

"Rider!" Lukas growled.

Rider frowned, but didn't respond. Lukas was surprised when the thief's eyes instead flashed to the left before looking back at him. Risking a glance, he noticed the girl had _extremely _long hair that was vaguely familiar. Lukas suddenly remembered the girl from the canyon just before it had flooded, wondering if she had been a hostage or an accomplice. She had stopped a few feet away from them, looking like she wanted to say something. He blinked a few times to make sure his eyes were working correctly, because that was still _a lot_ of hair for such a petite girl.

"Please don't hurt him!" The girl suddenly blurted out as she tried to make a grab for Rider.

"Rapunzel…" Rider muttered, shaking his head.

"Don't move!" One of his men yelled, followed by a click as the arrow was cocked. She froze in fear and quickly wrapped her hair around her.

"Rapunzel!" The woman shouted.

The woman had approached as well, wrapping arms around the frightened girl. When he looked back at his men, Lukas found that Daniel had been the one to shout. Trusting his men to handle the situation, he turned back to the thief. Rider gave him a blank expression, not the usual confident smirk nor the fearful expression of impending death. The blank look just served to irritate the Captain even more. Annoyed and frustrated for having to deal with the thief once again, he grabbed Rider's vest, pulled the man off the ground, and slammed him against the tower.

He barely heard Maximus's angry neigh as most of his concentration was focused on glaring at Rider.

"I would like to say that I've waited for this, but after three escapes, I find it more than a bit frustrating now."

"Nice to see you too, Captain." Rider replied through gritted teeth. The thief had his arm draped over his chest, guarding himself from any fatal blows.

_'Still fighting to the end, Rider? Too bad your luck's run out.'_ Lukas thought smugly.

"So, what's with the girl and the woman? Hostages? Or accomplices, perhaps?"

Rider glared fiercely into his eyes. Any lesser man would have flinched, but the Captain was by no means a lesser man. An impromptu glaring contest started between them, the silence dragging in the tension. Rider looked away first, a small scoff passing his lips.

"Even if I told you, you would never believe me."

Lukas had to concede to that. He _wouldn't_ believe anything Rider had to say. "Unfortunately, you're right. I wouldn't."

"So what's the point in telling someone who won't listen, Captain?"

"Oh, I'm listening, alright. I'm listening for the lies you plan on spewing out this time."

"This time?"

Lukas sneered. "Don't play with me, Rider. What are you scheming? Because, unless you got some _miracle_ up your sleeve, you won't be getting away again any time soon."

"Oh? Well, I don't plan on leaving, Captain." His face was carefully blank, bordering on serious. However, Rider was a manipulative, cold-hearted criminal. He had seen Rider slip out from too many sticky situations to trust anything the cunning thief said or did.

Lukas slammed Rider onto the wall again, enjoying the grunt of pain that followed. "Are you mocking me, Rider?"

"No, I'm not." Rider gasped out after recovering a bit. "But you seem to think otherwise."

"You're enjoying this, aren't you? Running me around in circles on a wild goose chase."

"Why do you think _I'm_ the one enjoying it?" Rider asked in annoyance, frowning as he glared at nothing in particular. Lukas tried following the thief's eyes, wondering if there was some unknown object that would let Rider slip through his hands once again. He found nothing, and glared ferociously at the man.

"Why y-"

"I said, Don't Move!" Daniel shouted, causing both heads to swivel to the guard's direction. The girl had freed herself from the woman and started running toward them, causing Rider to struggle in his grip. He was about to glower at the thief when something made him pause. He noticed a small green object on Daniel's shoulder. One of the men must have noticed as well, because no sooner had he noticed it, someone shouted and tried to swat it off Daniel.

"Daniel! There's something on your shoulder!" Daniel had looked to his shoulder in surprise before getting hit in the face with its tongue and slapped by another guard. His weapon dropped, and Lukas felt his stomach drop. Unknowingly, his grip on Rider's vest loosened considerably.

"Look out!" Hayes yelled.

"Live arrow! Everybody duck!" Another man yelled, but Lukas had ducked his head before he could identify who.

One of the horses reared up in pain from the arrow, causing the other horses to panic. His men tried calm them down and he noticed the girl try to run over to the injured horse. Maximus went in to intervene, wrestling with the guards as the horse tried to reach the girl.

"Whoa there! Easy boy!" Mitchell assured.

"Colby! Calm down boy! We'll get the arrow out of you!" Colby's rider fretted.

"Here! I can help! Please, just let me get to him!" The girl sounded desperate for reasons Lukas didn't know.

"The horses are going crazy, sir! Maximus? What are you doing?!" Conli panicked.

"Rapunzel, wait! It's not safe!" The woman followed closely behind, urging her to stay back.

A flash of blue flew rushed by, and Lukas saw that Rider was going for the girl as well, but with much better success than Maximus.

"Someone stop Rider!" Lukas barked.

"I got him marked! He won't get aw- Whoa!" One of his men aimed at Rider's leg when someone bumped into him, causing the arrow to fly towards the girl instead.

"Rapunzel!" Both Rider and the woman shouted.

Lukas scowled and ran into the fray, hoping to save the girl. However, Rider beat him to the punch and pushed the girl to the ground as the arrow tore into his arm. Lukas stopped keeping track of everything after someone elbowed him in the face. Chaos overtook the clearing, mixing shouts and grunts as everyone tried to detangle themselves.

"Rapunzel! Behind yo-Oof!"

"Eugene!"

"Rider! When I get my hands on you, I'll- Ugh!"

"Daniel! Stop pushing me! Ow! Maximus!"

"Rapunzel, dear, are you alright?!"

"Sorry, Captain. I didn't know you were there. Do you mind not strangling my arm?"

"Ah! It's the frog again! Someone get it!"

"Hey wait! Ow! My nose!"

"Alright, who kicked me?! Gah! Was that really necessary, Hayes?"

"STOP!" The woman managed to yell over the din after several minutes had passed. Everyone froze, all looking at the woman's direction. After regaining her breath, she straightened her cloak, having been skewed during the scuffle. An awkward silence followed before everyone broke into action again.

After everyone untangled themselves, a few guards went to help the injured horse. Two guards had arrows pointed at the women while far more were pointed at Rider on the ground. The thief was clutching his right arm which was being pressed with blonde hair from the girl. Surprisingly, the frog was on top of the girl's head making small chirping sounds at the thief. He glanced back the horses, which had all calmed down considerably, being lectured by Maximus. Lukas was about to head over to where Rider was when he stopped dead cold in his tracks.

"I said stop." The woman demanded in a frighteningly icy tone.

He watched as Rider suddenly tensed, desperately latching onto the girl as he moved away from the woman. At least he tried to, but the girl held onto him, muttering soothing words as she failed to calm him down. The fear in his eyes looked genuine for once, and Lukas crossed out the idea of the woman being an accomplice for the thief. A sigh distracted him from his thoughts. Frowning, he turned back to the woman.

"W-who are you?" He demanded, berating himself for the slight quiver in his voice.

"Eleanor Toute Gothel de la Riviére. I am the Kidnapper of the Lost Princess." She stated boldly as all of the crossbows whipped in her direction.

Lukas gapped at the supposedly Most Wanted Criminal of Corona. "What?!"

"Perhaps a brief explanation would suffice for now?" She sighed exasperatedly, her hand massaging the temple of her head.

Lukas growled. "Fine. Explain. _Now_."

She shot him an annoyed look, but replied anyways.

"Eighteen years ago, I broke into the castle to retrieve the magic flower that kept me young. When Rapunzel was born, the magic of the flower had transferred into her hair. Unfortunately, cutting a piece of the hair caused the magic to be lost, thus the kidnapping of the princess. Rapunzel," she gestured to the girl next to Rider, "was the name I chose for her as I was unaware of her true name. Three days ago, Rider found the tower and somehow convinced my daughter to leave the tow-"

"Um, Mother… Actually I convinced Eugene to take me out." The girl interrupted.

"Oh, I see. Well, glossing over many details here, I tricked her into coming back to the tower because without her, I would die and be unable to protect the Kingdom any longer. However, Rider had come back for Rapunzel. You should thank him; he convinced me to rethink my ways, and essentially rescued the Lost Princess."

Lukas whipped his head to stare at Rider. "Is this true, Rider?"

The thief, however, didn't seem to hear him. The man was breathing heavily, gripping his left shoulder forcefully as if in pain. The Captain frowned at the oddity, clearly remembering the arrow hit his right arm, the very arm that was currently gripping his shoulder. Lukas walked up to Rider, inspecting the thief much more closely this time. The girl — the Lost Princess _candidate_ — pulled the thief closer as he approached. He stopped a few feet away from them, but it was enough to get a good look.

He frowned as he saw patches of red from the left shoulder. Lukas looked back at his hand, only now noticing the red smudges that stained the pale white glove. He turned back to his men who were torn between watching them and guarding the Kidnapper. Tilting his head, Lukas gestured one of his men to get the bandages and the bottle of iodine. Cautiously, Hayes stepped away from the woman and headed toward the horses. Quickly grabbing the medical kit, he sprinted over and handed the Captain the package before returning to his post. Nodding, Lukas pulled out the bandages and cautiously approached Rider.

Kneeling down on the other side of the Lost Princess candidate, he watched as she respectfully backed away a little. He hesitated as he stared down at the thief whose eyes were clamped shut. He couldn't believe he was doing this, but sighed as his hand reached down for Rider's arm anyway. However, his hand was stopped as Rider firmly gripped his wrist.

"Don't bother, Captain. I'm fine." Rider glared. His right hand was still stubbornly draped across his chest.

"I'd _really_ rather not. But I can't have you dying before we reach Corona." Lukas frowned back.

"I'm _fine_, Captain."

"The blood on your shoulder says otherwise, Rider." Lukas scowled down at the stubborn thief. The one time he decided to help the criminal and the man _refuses_ it. Rider was going to drive him insane.

"You should know that you can't judge books by their cover, Captain."

"Well, _this_ one seems pretty easy to read, if you ask me."

"And I'm telling you that it's _fine_." Rider argued back.

"And _obviously_, you're not." Lukas shot back as he made a grab for Rider's hand. The thief swatted it away, gripping his shoulder tighter.

"Will you just drop it? I keep telling you that it's nothing!"

"You were gripping your shoulder in so much pain that you completely forgot about the wound on you right arm! And you call that nothing?!"

"Yes!"

Frustrated, Lukas put more effort into prying Rider's arm of his shoulder. "Will. You. Just!"

"Hey! Let go! Wait!" Rider grunted as he finally tore the arm away.

However, what he saw made his body grow cold. Hidden away by the arm was another large blotch of blood with a small rip extremely close to the heart. With the amount of blood on the vest, no person would have survived such a wound, yet Rider was alive in moderate health. Lukas looked at Rider in shock, but the thief avoided his gaze, opting to glare miserably at the ground. Hurriedly, he griped the vest and shirt and wrenched them apart. Rider must have expected the response though, as only his frown deepened into a scowl. The Captain, however, was shocked to see only a small scar marring the thief's chest underneath the already drying blood.

"Rider, wha-"

"Drop it." Rider emotionlessly replied. Lukas had never heard Rider's voice grow so empty.

"What happened?" He questioned sternly.

Rider just shook his head in response. "Can we not talk about it?" His voice still sounded bland.

Lukas wanted to press the matter, but something kept him back. Maybe it was the haunted look he briefly caught in Rider's vacant eyes, or the tearful gaze of the Lost Princess candidate, or maybe even angry gaze of the frog of her head, he didn't know. Sighing, he methodically buttoned up the shirt and vest before looking back at Rider again.

"Give me your right arm." He demanded.

"What?" Rider asked in confusion.

"Your right arm, Rider. You still have that cut from the arrow."

"How di-"

"I saw it happen."

"Oh…"

Slowly, Rider brought up his right arm, nursing the injury. Lukas opened the bottle of iodine, and gently smeared it onto the wound. Surprisingly, Rider didn't flinch, though he did grit his teeth. An uncomfortable silence followed as he wrapped the thief's arm, though the beaming smile from the girl made it bearable. Occasionally, he would catch Rider's eye whenever he looked up from the spot on the ground. Making sure the bandages were securely tied, he stepped back and turned to head for the horses. Most of his men were exchanging confused faces, but Lukas caught a troubled look on Hayes' face.

Hayes must have seen Rider's wounds, because Lukas found that he struggled to keep the same expression from leaping onto his own. He glanced at the woman, the most likely suspect for such an injury, and saw guilt written all over her. The Captain may not have gotten the details out of Rider, but he could assume what most likely happened. However, he was unable to predict how the thief managed to miraculously heal. He looked back at Rider, noticing that his arm was once again covering the blood. He sighed for what felt like the hundredth time in the past hour, and turned to his men.

"Alright, here's what we're going to do. Daniel, Albert, chain the Kidnapper-"

"Please don't hurt her!" The princess candidate interjected. Lukas turned to the girl. "She may have been my kidnapper, but she was my mother for eighteen years! Please, please, _please _don't hurt her!"

"Rapunzel, Flower. It's okay. They are just doing their job, dear." The woman reassured.

"But I just- I mean… Just be careful, Mother."

"I will, Rapunzel. I love you very much, dear."

"I love you more."

"I love you most." Lukas frowned as the girl smiled softly at the Kidnapper.

"As I was saying, Daniel, Albert, do you have the chains? Good. Hayes, you're with me. We'll handle Rider. Men, get on your horses! We need an escort for the Lost Princess candidate!"

"Yes sir!"

Lukas turned to the girl. "Miss, please wait over there next to Mitchell."

Said guard waved, and she nodded nervously, reluctantly leaving Rider with a squeeze of his hand. He smiled kindly at her, watching her closely. As the others went about following their orders, Hayes caught up to him. Looking around to make sure no one was listening, Hayes turned back to him.

"Captain, those wounds…"

Lukas groaned. "I know, Hayes. I know. Rider must have been hiding them from the beginning. We were just too blind to see them."

"How did he even _survive_?"

"I don't know," Lukas whispered back with a glance at Rider, "but I don't think we'll be finding out from him. His mouth's like a stone wall. It won't be budging anytime soon."

"Sir, I suddenly don't feel comfortable in chaining him."

"That's why we're handling him, Hayes." Lukas received a grateful smile. They walked up to the thief still lying on the ground, and waited for his attention to turn onto them.

"Captain. Guard." Rider greeted them with a nod.

"How are we going to do this, Rider?" Lukas gestured to him.

The thief frowned, but asked curiously, "Well, why don't you chain me up as well? Would be a lot easier, you know. Just do what you always do."

Hayes frowned, looking worriedly at Rider. Lukas crossed his arms. "You're injured."

"Um, not _really_."

A sigh. "Fine. Can you stand?"

A pensive look crossed his face. Using one arm as support, Rider shakily got to his feet. As soon as he did though, he suddenly gripped his shoulder tighter and fell back to the ground. Hayes reached for him, catching him, and lowering him back to the ground gently. Rider's eyes were glazed over with pain as he took deep breaths, but Lukas wisely chose not to comment on it. Arguing with the thief led to more frustration than relief.

"I'll take that as a 'No'."

Rider didn't respond immediately, but eventually Lukas got a nod. The Captain massaged the incoming headache. They couldn't just drag Rider all the way back to the kingdom; the work would be exhausting for all three of them. The saddles were also meant for one person only, and most of his men wouldn't want to share with the infamous thief. A neigh rang out from behind, and Lukas turned to see Maximus standing close to them. The horse pushed Hayes aside, glaring defiantly at the thief.

As he watched Maximus argue with Rider, Lukas couldn't help but think that the thief would once again avoid capture despite being surrounded by guards and being unable to move properly. Only this time, Lukas wasn't sure if he would be quite as frustrated.

* * *

**Sorry for the wait for Chapter Four. Chapter Five is currently being edited, so please look forward to it! Please take the time to read and review. Share your opinions and thoughts and criticisms are most welcome.**

**[EDIT: Chapter Four has been beta-ed as of 4-20-2014]**

**Acknowledgements:**

**Thank you TheScottishLegend for following my story. Please enjoy chapter Five when it comes around as well. silvistangled... Thank you for continuing to support me, and I hope you look forward to future adventures in the Tangled Universe. ****  
**

**Wolfram-and-Hart-Sauron... Your work as a beta is amazing, and my story probably would not mave made as much sense as it would have without you. **

**- Kenna Cat**


	5. Coming Home Once More

**Disclaimer: Tangled belongs to Walt Disney Pictures.**

* * *

**_Flashback - Bold and Italics_**

"Speech" - Double Quotes

_'Thoughts' - Italics and Single Quotes _

_"Singing and Animal Speech" - Italics and Double Quotes_

Narration - Nothing

* * *

**To Repair Twisted Knots**

**Chapter Five: Coming Home Once More**

* * *

Exhaling out the tension that had settled into his bones, Eugene gazed longingly after Rapunzel as she walked towards the guard. He certainly felt sorer now, most likely from the strain of pushing her out of harm's way and from the Captain. He felt Flynn roll his eyes, huffing hair out of his eyes while commenting on the dull ache that he could feel from there. Though Flynn hardly ever admitted it, Eugene knew that he was constantly worried for him. Therefore, he shot a small smile a reassurance towards Flynn. Too bad he didn't believe it for a second.

Distracted by whispers and approaching footsteps however, Eugene broke away from his mini-argument with Flynn. The entire time he had kept his eyes trained on Rapunzel, and even now he was reluctant to tear his sight away from her. In the end though, he turned his head to see who had approached them. Unsurprisingly, it was the Captain and another guard.

"Captain. Guard." He greeted formally, not knowing their names.

The Captain made a sweeping gesture. "How are we going to do this, Rider?"

Eugene frowned when the Captain confused him with Flynn once again. Rapunzel had already called his name quite a few times in front of him, not Flynn's. The Captain should have already connected the dots, Gothel as well, but both seemed adamant in calling out Flynn.

_'It's not like they know the difference.'_ Flynn pointed out.

_'I know, but it's just uncomfortable. You're you, and I'm me.'_ Eugene frustratingly explained.

_'You can just correct them, you know.'_

_'Somehow, I doubt it'll stick.'_ Eugene replied uncertainly, but Flynn conceded the point.

Breaking off the conversation, Eugene looked questionably at the Captain, wondering why the man hadn't chained him up like always. "Well, why don't you chain me up as well? Would be a lot easier, you know. Just do what you always do." He replied.

Flynn scoffed. _'As if they ever listened before.'_

Eugene inwardly chided Flynn, telling him that it was their job to cuff people for the safety of Corona even though neither of them liked it. Flynn just shrugged the lecture off, grumbling under his breath about incompetent guards and stuck-up captains. Eugene looked to the guard who was frowning at him strangely and wondered what he said wrong. The Captain crossed his arms and looked at him blandly.

"You're injured."

"Um, not _really_." He insisted. We're they going to have this conversation _again_? He told them he was fine!

The Captain sighed, but luckily didn't argue. "Fine. Can you stand?"

Unfortunately, Eugene didn't think standing would be quite so forthcoming with him. Nonetheless, he put on a determined face and tried. Using his left hand to push himself up, he slowly got to his feet. When he finally managed to straighten up, he was going to smile victoriously, but pain chose to shoot through his chest instead. He gripped his shoulder harder and pressed his arm to his chest to distract himself from the pain, yet he could feel his legs buckle beneath him.

Someone gripped his vest and supported his back, gently lowering him to the ground. His vision had gone blurry, but if he blinked enough, he could see that the guard had helped him. He breathed heavily as he waited for the pain to edge off.

_'What the hell were you thinking, Eugene?!' _Flynn scolded he finally calmed down enough to think.

_'I had to at least try.'_ Eugene stubbornly replied.

_'Yeah, I don't think so. Not with what just happened when you did try.'_ Flynn stated.

"I'll take that as a 'No'." Captain's voice sliced through the conversation.

Flynn backed away from the exchange, giving Eugene time to respond back to the Captain. However, multiple attempts at talking had resulted in wheezy gasps. Frustrated, he settled with a nod. He could see the Captain rubbing his temple before turning towards Maximus who had walked up to them. The horse was glaring daggers at him. Eugene felt his stomach drop as the guard was pushed aside.

With a nod and a neigh, Maximus dared Eugene to argue. "_You're riding with me, and I don't care what you say otherwise._"

"Back off, Max. I'm sure the guards would be just fine lugging me back." He replied.

"_Not if I have any say, which I do._" Maximus neighed smugly.

"Still not happening."

"_Well, too bad for you. You can't stop me._" The horse smirked down at him. Before Eugene could register what he meant, the horse bent down, grabbed him by the vest, and threw him up.

"Wha- Max! What are you doing?!" Somehow, Eugene was reminded of his prison escape.

A triumphant neigh. "_There we go._"

Eugene looked down to see that he was perfectly seated on the saddle once again. He looked incredulously at the horse. "How do you keep _doing_ that?"

Maximus laughed in response.

Eugene sighed dejectedly, but made no attempt to get off. "Thanks, Max."

Keeping himself steady with his left hand, he slightly adjusted his position to get more comfortable. He turned towards the Captain; the man had an unreadable expression on his face. Next to him, the guard had his arms outstretched with a strained smile shot towards him. Eugene took the moment observe how the others were doing. Rapunzel and Pascal had gotten on a horse; the guard standing next to her gave her a warm, relieved smile. The guards around Gothel were obviously wary, and some still had crossbows pointed at her despite the chains. Surprisingly, the injured horse was back on its feet, though there was a slight limp whenever it moved. Two guards kept the horse steady as they slowly headed towards the clearing exit. He looked back towards the tower and noticed Rapunzel's and Gothel's items still on the ground.

"Hey Captain, do you mind getting those over there? They belong to Rapunzel and…" Eugene trailed off, still uncomfortable saying the name of his near-killer out loud. He would get around to it eventually.

"Hayes, get the items. Handle them with extreme care." The Captain commanded after acknowledging the request as legit one.

"Yes sir." The guard, Hayes, spoke quietly. He seemed reluctant to leave.

An awkward silence descended upon Eugene and the Captain. The man watched him like a hawk, and he resisted the urge to fidget. Absentmindedly, he rubbed his shoulder while his eyes wandered. A brief look at the Captain made him realize that the man had narrowed his eyes. Looking away, he wondered what he had done wrong. Maybe the Captain was being overly suspicious again, with good reason considering Flynn's history.

_'Hey. I'll have you know that I worked hard on that history.'_ Flynn interjected his thoughts.

_'I don't think that should be something said in front of the Captain and the Royals, Flynn.'_ Eugene remarked.

_'You know perfectly well what I mean.'_ Flynn returned.

_'I do, but they'll probably get the wrong idea if you say it like that.'_

_'Unfortunately...'_

When Flynn fell silent, Eugene decided to stare wistfully at Rapunzel while ignoring Maximus's smirk and wiggling eyebrows. He shot the horse a sheepish smile, to which the horse smirked and turned to stare at Rapunzel as well. A huff from the Captain diverted his attention.

"Conli, go ahead to the kingdom and inform the seneschal that we have a Lost Princess candidate!" The Captain commanded.

"Yes sir!" Conli shouted from afar, shooting out of the clearing faster than a speeding arrow.

The Captain turned towards them. "Come on, Maximus, Hayes, Rider. We're going as well."

A shuffle came from behind, and Eugene barely caught the salute Hayes gave. Gothel's bag was draped over his shoulder, and he was balancing Rapunzel's items in his arms. Eugene was about to offer help, but Hayes must have known what he was going to ask because all he received was a determined glare. He made a gesture of defeat, and Hayes nodded happily. He heard Flynn wondering if the world had gone crazy for guards to be concerned for a thief. Eugene smiled with mirth and rolled his eyes.

The smile dropped as soon as Maximus moved. Jostling his sore shoulder and chest made him go numb. He sucked in his breath, hoping Maximus didn't hear the grunt of discomfort he let out. The horse did, but chose not to comment, though Eugene did notice that Max went slower and avoided larger bumps in the ground. He gave a grateful pat to the horse.

Max shook his head. "_You should have told me sooner._"

"There's always going to be something we're bound to disagree on, Max." Eugene answered softly.

Maximus snorted. "_True._"

They were the first group out, and as Eugene turned to gaze back Rapunzel, he saw her observing the tower. He, too, glanced back at the tower. Unlike Rapunzel though, he tore his eyes away from the majestic building. It was still too soon and still too much to process as the shadows tainted what he once thought was an amazing piece of architecture. He wondered how long it would take this time to suppress the darkness that threatened to envelope him.

As they went through shaded exit, the irony was not lost on him.

When they finally passed the ivy curtain, the Captain stopped by the entrance while Hayes and Maximus plowed ahead. Eugene watched as a group of four guards and Gothel exited next. She was walking on the ground, looking quite a bit older now, with two chains on her wrists and on her ankles. He tried to gather sympathy, but couldn't muster even an ounce. Flynn annoyingly sighed at him for trying to empathize with their attacker, but didn't remark, knowing Eugene cared more for others than he did.

Once Gothel's group passed, Rapunzel came next. The horse's original guard walked alongside her, sword drawn to protect her from potential threats. Her hair was bundled into her lap as her hand kept it from falling out of place. Pascal rested on her shoulder contentedly. The moment he locked eyes with her, she smiled broadly. Eugene gave a shy smile in return, noticing that the Captain was looking between them. He inwardly winced, reminded that he still had to pay for Flynn's crimes. Flynn shot him an apologetic look, but Eugene shrugged it off, long since knowing that it would come around eventually.

The last to exit was the injured horse guards. They limped slowly but surely behind them, and the Captain nodded. After making sure everyone was accounted for, the Captain rode back to the front of the group. Eugene wondered if the Captain did so because of regulation or because he was up here as well.

They rode through the forest silently, everyone watching for threats or trying to keep a comfortable pace. Eugene heard the clatter of chains and rubbed his wrists, reminded of the prison and the gallows. Trying to distract himself from the morbid thoughts, he observed the tranquil forest around them. They briefly passed through the area where the guards chased him, the arrows still imbedded into wood. A different path headed right, eventually leading to the Snuggle Duckling, suddenly making Eugene concerned for the Pug Thugs that broke him out of prison. Flynn commented that it was weird to feel worried about someone else for once; they had been on their own for so long.

The wind blew through the trees softly, small whistles filling the air in a soft melody of nature. The birds sang happily, and occasionally a small animal would dart past them. The clop of hooves provided a steady beat, and the gentle chatter behind him soothed some of the soreness in his bones. He ignored the shadows dancing at the edges of his vision like he always did. He subconsciously noted that they felt darker than before, and pushed them away from his mind. Being out in the forest free and uncontained always lifted Eugene's mood. He wondered what he would do after he was forced to leave the kingdom for his crimes.

Before he could ponder that train of thought further, Rapunzel trotted up beside him. The startled looks of the Captain, Hayes, and the guard she left behind were an amusing site to behold.

"How are you doing, Eugene?" she asked worryingly despite the smile on her face.

He gave her a timid smile. "Honestly, I could be better. I just really want to catch up on some sleep."

"At least you're being a bit more honest this time." Rapunzel slyly shot back. She looked beautiful as the gentle rays of sunlight bounced off her hair and face.

"When am I not?" Eugene countered. She gave him a look.

_'Right, doesn't know about Flynn and me either.'_ Eugene remembered, having only told her bits and pieces of the bigger picture. He hoped she would never have to go through what he went through, but being locked in a tower for eighteen years probably had its own consequences as well. He just couldn't see them at the moment.

"You're right. Stupid question." Eugene continued. They both looked away from each other in thought as silence followed shortly.

"Rapun-" He started.

"Eugene-" She overlapped.

They smiled embarrassingly at each other. Eugene gestured for her to go first, though she reluctantly did so. Flynn noticed that the Captain was watching them discreetly. Eugene also saw that the guard that Rapunzel ditched had caught up as well. Flynn scoffed, muttering about no privacy these days. Though with a potential and legit candidate for the Lost Princess, who wouldn't wanted to keep an eye out for her?

"I'm… I'm scared, Eugene." Rapunzel admitted gently.

Eugene looked at her sympathetically. "About your parents?"

"It's more than that. I feel like… I feel- Oh! I don't know what to feel! It's just _everything_! For starters, what if they don't recognize me?" She explained, shaking her head.

"Hey, don't worry. I'm sure they'll know you. After all, you're the brightest and greatest girl I know who looks exactly like the Lost Princess, and I've met _a lot_ of girls with blonde hair who are nowhere near as lovable as you are." He assured her, "Plus, your adoptive mother admitted it to the guards."

"I… I just- I'm glad that you think that way at least, Eugene." She sighed.

"Hey, mind telling me what's really bothering you?"

"I- I… I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing? The one who should be saying sorry is me." Eugene argued.

"No! You did nothing wrong!" She burst out angrily.

Eugene smiled sadly, "I've done a lot of things wrong, Rapunzel. Leaving you on the boat alone while the Stabbington Brothers were there was one and then there was-"

"Stop it, Eugene! That wasn't your fault!" Rapunzel shouted too quickly, leaving her breathless.

Eugene sighed, giving her a reproachful look. "Maybe… maybe we should talk about this another time."

She nodded timidly, looking much like a lost child, and she probably was. He reached over, gently held her hand, and gave her a warm look. She smiled back, momentarily forgetting the darker conversation. Eugene knew this conversation would probably be one they would have to go through many times for her, for himself, and for others involved in this entire mess. A dull ache shot through his chest; he would not be looking forward to it when the time came, and he had a feeling that it was coming soon.

Softly, church bells rang in the distance. Rapunzel made a nervously excited face and turned to him, asking if she could go ahead first. Eugene gestured to the guard next to her, and she hesitantly turned toward him. After some irresistible pleading, the guard consented as the man informed the Captain of what Rapunzel wanted. The Captain gave the go ahead, and she trotted ahead of them, the guard and Hayes following her closely. As soon as they were out of hearing distance, the Captain slowed down to trot next to him. Eugene regarded him warily.

"So Rider, are you planning on making it rich?" The Captain asked disgustedly, going straight to the point.

"What?" Eugene questioned, internally wincing at the slight hiss in his voice. Flynn's distaste for the Captain was slightly leaking through.

"You should know that anyone who actually returns the Lost Princess would practically get any reward he demanded. Going for the kingdom's treasures now, Rider?" The Captain sneered.

Eugene gritted his teeth when Captain spoke Flynn's name with such hatred. "Will you stop that?"

"Stop what? Stating the truth? I saw how you were getting all friendly with the Lost Princess candidate."

"And what does she have to do with anything?" Eugene frowned back.

"Everything, apparently. You're probably planning on getting in her good graces. Then, ask the King and Queen for everything in the vaults, leaving everyone else broke as you swim in piles of gold. Aren't you?" The Captain suggested.

"What?! No!" Eugene objected furiously. How dare the Captain assume such horrible things!

"Getting defensive now, aren't you Rider? Hit the bulls-eye dead on, huh?"

"You're twisting words that haven't even come out of my mouth, Captain! I'm not planning _anything_."

"You're always planning something, _Rider_." Captain growled.

Eugene twitched. Suddenly, Flynn interjected.

"Fitzherbert." Flynn spat.

The Captain looked immensely confused. "What?"

"The name's Eugene Fitzherbert. Stop calling me Rider. Then, _maybe_ I'll be a little less _snarky_ and a bit more _honest_ with you, Cap." Flynn retorted, and Eugene gave him a shocked look, but smiled gratefully.

Recovering from his shock, the Captain narrowed his eyes. "What's your game, _Fitzherbert_?" The Captain mocked.

Eugene shot him a serious look. "There wasn't one to begin with, Captain."

"Sure there isn't." The Captain stated, obviously not believing him.

"Think what you will, Captain, but it'll only lead you in circles." Eugene nonchalantly answered. He looked towards the approaching kingdom sadly, "It's not like you'll believe me anyway."

_'Just like you always don't.'_ Eugene added in thought.

If Eugene had taken the time to look back at the Captain, he would have seen a pensive look cross the Captain's face. However, he missed it as he stared determinedly at the passing ground. A soft neigh from Maximus made him put on a strained smile. The horse was looking back at him worriedly, but Eugene waved it off. The Captain always thought the worst of criminals, trying to prevent situations from going wrong. After dealing with the Captain for so long, both Eugene and Flynn were quite used to the treatment.

Maximus neighed and gestured up ahead. The bridge to Corona was approaching sight. A neigh distracted his attention, and Eugene looked back at Maximus.

"_Are you going to be okay?_" Maximus asked.

"Yeah… Just a bit nervous. Thanks for letting me ride you, Max." Eugene replied. It sounded like a goodbye, and perhaps it would be.

"_This time was just an exception. Don't think I'll be doing this again._" Maximus snorted, and looked away.

Eugene smiled warmly. "I know. Still, thanks."

Maximus sighed in defeat, and nodded. "_We're here._" Maximus neighed quietly.

Eugene looked across the bridge with growing apprehension. "Yeah. We're back home." He whispered to the wind.

* * *

**Another chapter completed and posted. Thank you for reading the newest chapter! Look out for Chapter Six; it's going to be a bit longer than the usual average number of words. ****Please take the time to read and review. ****Share your opinions and thoughts or any questions you have as there are quite a few concepts I have been hinting that will be revealed later! Kudos to those who can guess what's going on. Criticisms are most welcome.**

**[EDIT: Chapter Five has been beta-ed as of ****4-21-2014]**  


**Acknowledgements:**

**Thank you Paint a Melody for your favorite! I'm hope I continue to please.**

**To my awesome Beta ****Wolfram-and-Hart-Sauron! I've got a dream to finish this story, and you're extremely helpful in finishing it! **

**- Kenna Cat**


	6. A Heist Up Above To The Tower Down Below

**Disclaimer: Tangled belongs to Walt Disney Pictures.**

* * *

**_Flashback - Bold and Italics_**

"Speech" - Double Quotes

_'Thoughts' - Italics and Single Quotes _

_"Singing and Animal Speech" - Italics and Double Quotes_

Narration - Nothing

* * *

**To Repair Twisted Knots**

**Chapter Six: A Heist Up Above To The Tower Down Below **

* * *

The seneschal paced in the small — considering most royal standards — room. His hands were clasped behind his back, clutching the Lock tightly. Pausing to look towards the closed mahogany doors, he sighed as he waited for yet another Lost Princess candidate. Johnathan looked sympathetically at him from the side of the room, standing on guard with a hand resting on his sword.

Reynard wondered how this new princess candidate would manage to ruin an already depressing day further.

As the seneschal, Reynard had taken the time to interview every false candidate for the past eighteen years. Having turned down countless applicants, he was tired of hoping that perhaps one of the girls would be the Lost Princess. He could only imagine how Their Majesties felt after hearing every positive chance turn negative. Still, the kingdom continued through the harsh times, and notions were made for countless situations. Although Their Majesties had kept the kingdom functional, multitudes of problems lay beneath the fragile surface of Corona's awe-inspiring appearance. Territories owned by the kingdom of Corona had been suffering horribly from increased rates of crime, and their forces, spread wide and far, could only help so much. Alliances with other kingdoms were distant as many Royals were pre-occupied with their own situations despite Queen Racheal's valiant efforts to remain connected. The Gloriole Massacre nineteen years ago had also taken away nearly all the vestiges of their once-proud sister kingdom.

Yet he had only climbed the surface of the mountainous problems Corona faced, Their Majesties lacked an heir to carry on the kingdom. While Their Majesties were still quite young, eighteen years with no sign of Princess Sonnea had steadily shredded down wishes into cynicism.

Reynard took to pacing the room again, his eyes darting around as he took in his surroundings. The Relation Room was still quite tall, reaching about two stories high to add an intimidating effect. A small table sat in the middle, with four chairs and a sofa to the side. A side cabinet, holding the designated scissors, stood next to the entrance into the palace by the extra stools. Despite the space taken by the furniture, the chamber could easily hold thirty plus people. Broad windows lined the top of one wall, letting sunlight gently pour through. Pillars stood erect on opposite sides of the room, colored with the golden hues of a fading sunset. A massive banner of the symbol of the kingdom hung in every other space between the pillars, each sewn elegantly by the royal tailors themselves many generations back. However, as security was increased for the appearance of the Lost Princess candidate, behind each banner hid two Lock Guards. With four banners present, eight guards lay waiting in the shadows while one waited out in the open. Every day the Lock Guards rotated the post, which in this case happened to fall to Johnathan today.

Reynard gripped the precious Lock even tighter despite how the vial dug into his palm. After Princess Sonnea had been kidnapped, the Elite Forces had been renamed the Lock Guard for the lock of brown hair left behind in the crib. The small piece of hair, named the Lock, had been put into a vial and given to the Queen for the most part, unless news of a Lost Princess candidate showed up on the palace doorsteps. Uniforms changed into red and black coats, crossed by whited bands connected to Corona's symbol. Training grew harsher immensely under the lead of Captain Marcel as the man rose to his status. Wives were brought in, sharpened into the Lock Chambermaids by suggestion of Headwoman Evelyn. The Lock Guard had become more efficient, more dangerous, and more cautious. For the protection of the Majesties, everyone had pressed their bodies and minds to the limit, from defending occasional assassinations to playing out various scenarios of the Lost Princess' Return.

This morning, he had gone with Captain Marcel of the Lock Guard to meet with members of his force to predict several situations and plan routes to the future once again. However, as discussions flew by, predictions of the return of the princess grew darker, especially since the Lantern Festival ended. They had been in the middle of one discussion involving Queen Grimhilde, the Wicked Witch, when one of the royal guards burst into the meeting. The guard, Conli, had come wheezing about a girl, blonde hair, thieves, and old ladies. Between heavy breaths and nervous stutters, Reynard had quite a hard time making head-or-tails of his explanation. The only thing he managed to grab from Conli was that a claimant for the Lost Princess was coming.

As such, bringing them to the current predicament, Reynard paced restlessly to wait for the group to arrive. Regardless of his efforts to squash the feeling, annoyance settled deep into his soul.

A small knock echoed into the chamber. Both Reynard and Johnathan whipped their heads in the direction of the door as it slowly opened. The seneschal quickly returned to his position by the table, straightening himself and minutely correcting his clothes. The first to come in was a guard, holding the door for a blonde girl. At first, everything seemed normal enough until another guard came holding bundles of golden string. No sooner had his confusion hit, disbelief coursed through him as he realized the string was actually hair, hair from the blonde girl.

When Reynard thought the quirks ended there, fury decided to swing around when the infamous Flynn Rider stepped through. The thief looked around in wonder, though his face look like it hadn't slept in a week. His arms were crossed strangely, one hand draped across his chest while the other supported it, looking much like he was pondering something before he came in. Crooks bringing in a Lost Princess candidate had always been a low blow, but always resulted in the capture of the criminal. The seneschal found that he quite enjoyed the prospect of seeing Rider in chains after the test was over, especially after his heist of the Crown of the Lost Princess. Focusing back at the troop, Captain Fidel of the Royal Guards soon followed Rider with a troubled frown on his face. His hand was clenching the thief's unoccupied shoulder, and for a moment, Reynard thought the captain was determined to keep Rider from fleeing. However, a slight stumble from Rider made him reevaluate the picture. He barely noticed that the thief seemed to be _leaning_ into the hand while the Captain Fidel held Rider steady. If it weren't for the occasional stumble from Rider, he would have never noticed the support from the captain. To say the seneschal was shocked would be an understatement, knowing the history of dislike and distrust between the two.

Unfortunately, the surprises didn't end there. Four guards passed through the door, each clasping a chain firmly. Following the chains, his sight landed on a black-haired woman who looked slightly older than the Queen. Confused on why a lady would be chained so heavily instead of the thief, Reynard studied the woman more closely. A strange familiarity breezed through his thoughts, but he couldn't quite place where it had come from. The woman was immediately brought to the sofa where the guards securely tied the chains to the legs of the seat. Despite the chains, she sat gracefully while giving the girl a gentle look.

Thinking that there were no more to come, Reynard was about to sit down until he heard boisterous clopping sounds. Hesitantly looking up, he gaped as a white palace horse strode through the door with a small chameleon on its head. Questions flooded his mind, and Reynard forced himself to wait until everyone was situated before asking anything.

_'What a peculiar group. I think I'm beginning to understand what Conli was trying to explain earlier. A thief, a girl, blonde hair, and an elderly woman indeed... '_ Reynard thought as he watched everyone take up different spots around the table and sofa.

Rider moved to the other side of the sofa. However, instead of sitting down, he went past the cushions, sat down on the floor, and leaned back onto the armrest. The captain stood close by the thief, stoically staring down at him. The girl bounded over to Rider, her hands full of hair, and proceeded to pass the hair to him. To the seneschal's surprise, the thief smiled softly before gently taking the hair into his lap. The princess candidate turned to sit in in a chair, choosing the one closest to the thief, as the horse trotted up to stand next to her. The other guards stood to the side. However, four guards had crossbows pointed at the woman. Once everyone had finally settled down, the seneschal cleared his throat.

"I believe we are ready to begin?" Reynard asked.

"Yes (sir)." Everyone chorused.

"Then let us begin introductions. Please state your name and your reason for being here. I will start first. I am Seneschal Reynard Achterberg. I am the Administrator of the Test." He began.

"I'm Rapunzel, the Lost Princess." The girl smiled brightly, though her voice was uncertain. What happened to her name?

"Eleanor Toute Gothel de la Riviére, though you may call me by Gothel. I am the Kidnapper of the Lost Princess." At the statement, Reynard swiveled his head to look at her in horror. He was suddenly very grateful for the chains.

"Eugene Fitzherbert, alias Flynn Rider. Condemned thief." Rider spoke up, causing the seneschal to peer at the thief strangely for the 'condemned' declaration. A nudge from the captain made Rider glare at the floor. The thief sighed, adding, "Rescuer."

Reynard barely caught the mumbles that followed, mentions of 'not deserving it' and 'she saved me instead'. When he looked at the girl, she had a sorrowful look on her face as she gazed at Rider. Before he could read into the expressions further, the horse chose the moment to neigh.

"Maximus, my escort." The girl seemed to translate, and then gestured to the chirping chameleon. "And Pascal, my best friend."

Reynard nodded tentatively, before turning to Captain Fidel bewildered by this odd group. The captain shrugged. "Captain Lukas Fidel of the Royal Guard. Protection."

Then the guards reported, "For the protection of the Lost Princess candidate!"

"Mitchell."

"Hayes."

"Daniel."

"Albert."

"Jaiden."

"Robert."

"Sir!" The guards shouted.

Reynard nodded to them in acknowledgement. He twisted his head to briefly glower at the supposed Kidnapper, turning back to the girl once he finished. "As per Test regulations, every person in the group must first undergo an examination by the Royal Physician Doctor Griffin Weiss."

As he said the words, a man entered through the palace entrance behind them. Wearing a rolled-up white undershirt and a brown vest, Doctor Griffin draped a tan apron over his clothes as he walked over. Small spectacles rested on his face accompanied by a disarming smile. In his other hand, a small bag of tools softly clanged in time with clicking shoes. Reynard was about to introduce everyone when Doctor Griffin put a hand up.

"It's quite all right, Reynard. Even after thirty years, this old man's hearing is still alive and kicking." Griffin chuckled.

"I see. Then I leave it to you doctor." Reynard replied with an amused smile.

"Just a few light bruises, some older than the others. Nothing a good rest won't cure. Have you been in a scuffle recently, boys?" Griffin asked teasingly as he quickly looked over the guards.

The nervous nods made the doctor laugh heartily. The man's laugh lifted the mood, and the girl giggled. Attention caught, Griffin moved to the girl next.

"Hello, Princess. Do you mind if this old man checks for any injuries?"

"N-no. It's fine." She replied anxiously. Reynard noticed how Rider watched the doctor like a hawk looking at its next prey. Griffin must have noticed as well, making his movements open and cautious as he examined the girl.

"You're in perfect health, young lady. Though I find it strange that there was a strand of short brown hair." Griffin concluded with a twinkle in his eyes as he looked at Reynard. The seneschal found hope flutter in his heart, but squashed it cruelly. It wouldn't do to get his hopes up so soon.

"T-thank you, Doctor G-griffin." She replied, eyes darting between the Kidnapper and Rider. Rider gave an assuring smile that seemed to calm the girl down slightly.

"Though I am not a veterinarian, I do know some knowledge of animal anatomy and sicknesses. I do not see any for either of you. However, you seem slightly tired, Maximus. Make sure to get some rest after this." Griffin turned to the horse. At his suggestion, the horse nodded. He moved onto the chameleon.

"And as for you, Pascal, I found nothing wrong except for a little overexcitement. That should wear off soon, so you may find yourself tired later. Watch out for that." Griffin concluded. The chameleon chirped.

"Madam Gothel." Griffin, moving to the Kidnapper next, greeted with stern politeness. The tension rose, leaving the room feeling icy cold. Reynard noted that the woman had look progressively older than when she had first entered the chamber, the resemblances between the wanted posters and the lady becoming more pronounced. Perhaps this woman was indeed the Kidnapper of the Lost Princess, and if so, she had much explaining to do as to why she looked so young. He suspected that the Golden Flower had something to do with it, but he wondered if the woman was a witch, and dreaded the thought.

"Doctor Weiss." The Kidnapper greeted back formally.

After checking the Kidnapper over, Griffin straightened and took a few steps back. Obviously the doctor did want to be around the Kidnapper any more than necessary. "You're also in good health, though those chains will most likely leave your wrists and ankles sore and slightly bruised."

The woman nodded and the doctor turned to Lukas and Rider. Griffin turned to Rider first, but the thief pointed upwards to the captain. Lukas frowned and the two began a glaring contest. Griffin looked unsurely between them until Lukas relented with a nod. Regardless of the confusion, the doctor stood to examine the captain.

"Your stress level have been getting high again, Lukas. Have your daily walks through the garden not been enough?" Griffin asked nonchalantly.

"No, they have. However, these past few days have not been so kind." Lukas replied.

"True, they have not been kind on anyone." The doctor commented as he studied Lukas's face. Reynard noticed the abashed look on Rider's face.

"I'm sure the next few days will quite busy as well." The captain commented.

"Yes, well, I do hope you get some time to yourself. Your nose will be a bit bruised, so I recommend some ice to cool it down. There are slight bruises, but those should go away by the end of today." Griffin finished.

The captain nodded, and then turned to observe Rider. The thief cast his eyes away, refusing to return the look. Reynard felt that the scene looked like an older brother scolding a younger one, but he quickly shook the image away. Griffin bent down, ready to examine the thief. However, Rider responded by crossing his arms tighter.

"Lad, you're going to have to let go of your shoulder." Griffin started. Rider didn't budge. "Now don't be so stiff, Mr. Fitzherbert, or do you prefer Rider?"

"I prefer Fitzherbert, Doctor Griffin." Fitzherbert replied warily.

"Ah! There's your voice! I was afraid I wouldn't find one for such a fine, young man." Griffin happily responded. Rider, Fitzherbert, gave a strained smile.

"I'm only just a little tired, doctor. I plan on sleeping after all this." Fitzherbert alleged.

"I'll be the judge of that, young man. I'm the physician, after all." Griffin assured.

"Really, I'm fi-"

"Don't make me tell them instead, Fitzherbert." Lukas cut in, "Because I _will_ tell them if you keep insisting the opposite." Rider sighed gloomily, but released his shoulder after a moment.

"Don't fret, Mr. Fitzherbert. I assure you that I don't bite." Griffin tried. The comment, however, made Fitzherbert immediately frown and back away.

Reynard looked at the exchange dubiously. The man before him resembled nothing from the reports of Flynn Rider: from the name, to the personality, to the actions. Nothing matched up except for the face and clothes, barring the incorrectly drawn nose. He wondered what had caused Fitzherbert to frown from such a simple statement. Griffin must have wondered as well, but the doctor didn't ask. Instead, he held the thief's hand gently yet strongly.

"Thank you." Griffin said meaningfully. That seemed to do the trick as Fitzherbert relaxed, but the thief refused to look anyone in the eyes.

Griffin frowned, but proceeded to look over the criminal. The captain watched over the two, while the doctor used his body to block everyone's view of Fitzherbert. Reynard opted to watch the various reactions around the room as he waited. The Kidnapper looked guiltily at the armrest, a reaction he had not been expecting. The princess candidate was looking over at Fitzherbert with copious amounts of concern. Occasionally, she would fidget in place. Maximus and Pascal were giving each other looks of worry whenever they were not staring at Fitzherbert. He looked over to the guards, and while most just looked as confused as he was, Hayes looked deeply troubled. It seemed only Lukas, Hayes, the Kidnapper, the animals, and Princess Candidate Rapunzel knew what Fitzherbert was hiding.

A cough made Reynard turn back to the trio. Griffin had finished his examination, taking off his apron and putting it back into the bag. The thief had returned to crossing his arms in that strange position, looking as if nothing had happened.

"Well, you may find yourself quite sore for a few days, my boy." Griffin sighed.

"Apologies, Doctor Griffin." Fitzherbert replied with chagrin.

"I have never seen so many bruises on one man such as you, Mr. Fitzherbert! Your legs are covered in them, as well as your torso. There seems to be one large bruise that runs across the length of your stomach. Your face looked like it has been punched quite a few times in the last few days, and your muscles seem to be stretched improperly. Your head has three separate bruises that will probably give you occasional headaches as well. What in the world did you get hit with, lad?" Griffin incredulously asked.

"A frying pan…" The thief replied humbly.

"A _frying pan_?" Griffin's eyebrow shot upward.

"Sorry!" The girl guiltily apologized.

"How come there are three bruises? I only remember you hitting me twice." Fitzherbert questioned. The girl fiddled with her hair.

"After the first one, you woke up pretty quickly. I didn't know what to do, so I just…" She explained shyly.

"Wait. She hit you with a _frying pan_?" Reynard cut in.

"Yeah…" Fitzherbert confirmed with a dazed expression. The thief must have been trying to remember the third hit, but he didn't seem to be having much success.

"I see." Griffin marveled. "Anyway, the fingers on your right hand have been squashed at some point, so I suggest to take it easy with that hand and relax your grip on your shoulder a bit."

"Huh, I don't know when that happened." Fitzherbert commented.

"That… might have been from when I stuffed you in a closet." The girl quickly burst out. She smiled ashamedly. Fitzherbert just gave her a blank look, causing the girl to smile wider.

The doctor blinked. "Continuing on, your shoulder and chest have healed completely, but judging from your reactions when I pressed them, you may be feeling some phantom pain. For now, they may frequently lead to extreme pain, but they will gradually decrease into sporadic dull aches."

Fitzherbert looked unsurprised at the news, and Reynard wondered what had happened that would cause such a reaction. With a hand covering the shoulder and the chest area, the thief had effectively covered the aforementioned regions. Looking around at the other occupants of the room, Reynard noticed the girl seemed desperate to say something, but kept flashing her eyes to the Kidnapper. Meanwhile, the woman had been staring softly at thief. The guards all looked at each other with various amounts of shock. Only Hayes and Lukas solemnly accepted the news. Maximus seemed to be shaking his head in frustration, making Pascal hold onto the horse's hair to keep from being thrown off.

"Your body desperately needs sleep, especially with such heavy bags under your eyes, boy. Your upper right arm is healing nicely. The iodine has prevented infection, for now, so keep an eye on it. I've replaced the bandages, but make sure to change them frequently." Griffin nodded to Lukas, who responded with a stoic look. "You have quite the list, Mr. Fitzherbert."

It was indeed _quite _the list. Initially, Rider had looked to be in moderately good health, but after hearing the results of Griffin's examination, Reynard began to see otherwise. He caught a glimpse of red underneath the arm, around the shoulder and the chest. Occasionally, Fitzherbert would wince slightly and rub stiff muscles away. To top it all off, the man looked like he had been dragging out of bed at three in the morning, but stayed up because of an important meeting he was required to attend. Reynard wondered how the thief managed to even get here in the condition he was in, let alone staying awake and aware the entire time.

"The only thing that managed to have come out unscathed is your left hand. You need to take better care of yourself, lad." Griffin finally finished.

"This normally doesn't happen, Doc." Fitzherbert whispered. Reynard managed to catch the words, though he thought nothing of them. However, Doctor Griffin turned and looked at the thief suspiciously.

"Fitzherbert, what do you mean by that?" Doctor Griffin inquired.

"Did I say something wrong, Doctor Griffin?" Fitzherbert looked up innocently, but there was a hint of fear in his eyes.

Griffin gave the thief a weird look, but dropped the issue. "No, nothing… My old ears must be going bad."

At that, Reynard turned to look incredulously at the doctor. The Royal Physician was known to have the best hearing in the entire kingdom; the doctor had even confirmed the fact when he entered. What was the reason for the peculiar look, and why had Griffin turned at such simple words? No matter how much Reynard pondered the previous conversation, he could not find anything strange besides the frying pan and closet comments, something he would probably understand once he got a story out of the group.

_'This is already turning out to be much more complicated than I thought.'_ The seneschal thought apprehensively.

"I believe that is all. If you'll excuse me, Reynard, I shall be heading back up." Griffin cut through his thoughts.

"Ah! Yes. That will be all. Thank you for coming down here, Doctor Griffin." Reynard replied.

"It was a pleasure." Griffin bowed before heading towards the palace entrance. With one last look at Fitzherbert, Griffin closed the door quietly. With everyone lost in thought, a semi-comfortable silence descended upon the chamber. However, a cough from Johnathan broke Reynard's train of thought. With a snap of his fingers, Reynard called forth three scribes to take down the upcoming conversation.

"Your attention, please. Thank you. At this point, the Test regulations allow a moment for any information pertaining to your discovery as a Lost Princess candidate to be mentioned. It seems there is quite a story behind all this, correct?." Reynard spoke.

"Yes." Rapunzel replied shyly.

"Definitely." Fitzherbert mumbled.

"Hm." The Kidnapper hummed in agreement.

When an awkward silence followed, Reynard furrowed his brows. Had they not come prepared to share the story? Although he was awfully curious, most groups never needed to be asked before jumping right into their respective stories. Reynard sighed, wondering where he could even start with so little information.

"Would you like to suggest where we start then?" The seneschal wearily requested.

"The lanterns!" Rapunzel excitedly replied.

"The sun." The woman overlapped.

"The guards." Fitzherbert intervened determinedly.

The three looked at each other, invisible conversations going between them, when finally the woman spoke first. "I suppose it started when a drop of sunlight fell from the sky which grew into a beautiful glowing flower."

"The Golden Flower, correct?" Reynard guessed.

"Yes. I had found it many centuries ago, and despite my efforts to keep it a secret, rumors and legends spread until the Kingdom of Corona branched off and proudly grew on this very island, the symbol of the kingdom revolving around the legend of the Golden Flower. Then, eighteen years ago, the Queen grew sick during childbirth."

"Yes, unfortunately there were complications during the pregnancy." Reynard confirmed. The girl looked at him in shock.

The Kidnapper nodded. "To heal her, the guards took the Flower away and gave it to her. The kingdom was very lucky that day. When I heard people approach, I had covered the Flower with a vine basket, but accidentally knocked it over in my escape."

"So that's why there was a basket next to the flower. A guard had reported that he knocked it over the edge of the cliff." The seneschal disclosed.

"Pity. That was such a good basket too." The Kidnapper commented. "Anyhow, Rapunzel was born healthy with golden, blonde hair. I had snuck into the tower in the dead of night, seeking the Flower that kept me alive. I had found it in her hair, rejuvenating me back into my younger self. I had originally wanted only a piece, thinking that if I cut off a small portion of the hair, I would be able to continue living from that. However, once I made the cut, the hair and the lock I had immediately turned brown and I rapidly grew old once again."

At the new information, Reynard tightened his hand around the Lock.

"I had no choice but to take the child to keep myself alive. I had not healed myself at the time, so when the Royals awoke, they saw an elderly woman. I am the very same elderly woman that is currently posted on the wanted posters."

"I see. When we saw the brown hair in the crib, we had assumed that there was a connection to the magic of the Golden Flower. You say that it heals?" Reynard steely interrogated.

"Yes. It glows when you sing the Healing Incantation. When the glow reaches you, you will be healed. Even old age can be reversed temporarily. However, since the hair only heals indirectly, the magic is most likely not as strong as when the Queen took it."

This confused the seneschal. "What do you mean by indirectly?"

"Anything made from the Flower is considered a direct method to use its healing properties. I'm assuming that the kingdom did not know about the Healing Incantation, correct?"

"You have mentioned the Healing Incantation twice now. What is it?"

"It is a song that lets you use the healing properties indirectly. All you have to do is sing the song, and the Flower can heal you while still keeping the flower intact. However, doing so limits the power of the Flower. Only during drastic situations should you use the Flower directly."

"And what would you consider a _drastic_ situation?" Reynard demanded, feeling this particular piece of information would be important later.

"Death." She answered bluntly. Reynard noticed Fitzherbert and Rapunzel wince at the word.

"Would you kindly elaborate how that would work? Death is usually not reversible." The seneschal pressed.

"If you use the Flower directly, as in a tea or soup, and give it to a dying person, the person would immediately regain back their deteriorating health. You have seen the case for the Queen, I presume. However, the Flower can even bring back someone who has recently died. The person would come back, healthy and alive, as if nothing ever happened. This is only the case when the Flower is used _directly _though, something that is no longer an easily accessible option."

"And indirectly?"

"It can heal medium cuts, bruises, scratches. Deeper injuries are harder to heal and leave scars. Broken bones need at least three sessions to be completely healed. It can also momentarily reverse old age. The Flower from her hair is simply not strong enough to reverse death. And even if the dying person was barely alive, the best the Flower could do would be to send the person into a healing coma." The woman answered, peering at Fitzherbert in confusion. The seneschal glanced at Rapunzel, seeing her near tears. Meanwhile, Captain Fidel had a distressed frown.

Reynard looked between everyone and the thief, wondering what was causing the looks. "Why are you all looking at him like that?"

"He… he-" The girl started, but a dry sob came out instead of an answer. Although her eyes were misty, the tears did not fall.

"Hey… Rapunzel, it's alright. I'm okay. _Please_ don't cry. I'm not going anywhere." Fitzherbert immediately tried to comfort the girl. His hand reached over and grasped Rapunzel's hand. She responded by squeezing it tight like a lifeline, not noticing the slight wince the thief gave. The horse and the chameleon came over to comfort her as well, soft neighs and chirping sounds barely audible over the weeping gasps.

A depressing silence invaded the room as Reynard thought of the implications of the looks and the sobbing reply. A tragedy revolving around Fitzherbert had obviously occurred, though when and where had yet to be revealed. They were only at the very beginning of the story and things had already escalated downhill.

Reynard coughed to get their attention, changing the question. "What happens when the Flower can no longer be used indirectly, when the magic disappears?" He needed to know what happened when all of the hair was cut. However, the answer was not what he expected.

"I will die." The Kidnapper stated simply.

"What?!" Reynard boomed as he jumped out of his chair.

"I have been alive for many centuries, seneschal. My life is directly connected to the Flower. When the magic in the hair is gone, then so shall I."

"No, Mother! How can you say that so _calmly_?" Rapunzel shakily pleaded. She looked desperately at the woman, and the Kidnapper only smiled softly with love. At the look, Reynard's heart softened just a bit for the Kidnapper.

"Don't go dying now." Fitzherbert stiffly commanded, looking very uncomfortable.

The girl suddenly turned on him. "Promise me you won't cut my hair."

"What?" The seneschal replied, startled.

"Promise me you won't cut my hair. And when you make a promise, you will never break it. _Ever_. Promise me." Rapunzel demanded.

"A-alright, I promise not to cut your hair." Somehow, he couldn't refuse the demand. The girl had looked just like Queen Rachel whenever the Queen was determined to do something.

The Lost Princess smiled gratefully. "Thank you."

Reynard sighed, "While showing proof of the Golden Flower is one way to confirm that you are indeed the Lost Princess, we will hold off on that. I would very much appreciate to hear the entire story first. Therefore, if you could please continue…"

"As we were, after the heist, I fled into forest where I turned myself young, posing as a young traveling mother." The Kidnapper, Gothel he recalled from the introduction, started once more. However, when she mentioned the traveling mother, images flashed in the seneschal's mind.

******- . - . -**  


**"Halt!"_ Marcel called out to a cloaked figure. The hood was down, revealing curled black hair. When the figure turned, Reynard saw a young woman smiling serenely at them._**

**"What can I do for you, gentleman?"_ She asked melodically._**

**"We are looking for a baby with golden hair and an elderly woman. Have you seen either?" _Marcel demanded. _**

**"No, I haven't. May I ask what has happened?" _The young woman inquired gingerly. In her hands was a small bundle covered by a cloth. Reynard turned away from the two, scanning the forest for other people within the vicinity. _**

**"We were tasked with the mission to find a missing child and the kidnapper."_ Marcel replied formally, not revealing that the child was the heir to Corona. _**

**"How horrible!"_ She gasped, clutching the bundle tightly. _**

**"What are you doing out in the forest at this time, madam?"_ Marcel asked suspiciously. _**

**"I planned to reach to the Kingdom of Edinburgh by morning, sir. I have been traveling many days from Lohr am Main with my child."_ She explained, showing the child's hands and torso. The baby was sleeping quietly. _**

**"Lohr am Main? That's two weeks away by foot! Have you been traveling this entire time?!"**

**"I have. I unfortunately do not have enough money to pay for transportation."_ She replied sadly. _**

**"I see… Do be careful then. The Kidnapper may strike at any time." _Marcel warned. _**

**"Thank you for the warning. I wish you guards all the luck in your mission."_ She bid farewell, walking back into the dark shadows of the forest. Reynard walked away in the opposite direction while Marcel followed the lady, making sure the woman would reach the Corona-Edinburgh border safely._**

******- . - . -**

"YOU!" Reynard bolted from his seat, causing everyone to jump in surprise. "You were the one Marcel talked to the night of the kidnapping!"

The woman looked back at him guiltily. "I do apologize for the rouse." She said sincerely, "I remember encountering guards that night. I had not realized you were one of them."

"What's past shall remain the past. Just… just continue." Reynard growled through gritted teeth.

Gothel nodded hesitantly. If her look had not been so sincere, Reynard knew he would have lost it then and there. Marcel and he had been so close to the Princess, but neither of them had thought to look beyond the shown torso and hands. She had literally slipped right under their noses.

"After I had gotten away from the guards, I went back to my tower in a clearing hidden by a wall of ivy leaves. The darkness of the cave made the vines look like they were resting on stone walls. And for eighteen years, I raised Rapunzel as my own daughter. Although there were many actions that I did to keep her in the tower, I still loved her. I taught her how to read, how to cook, and about the things that existed outside of the tower despite how inaccurate they seemed at times. But never doubt that I treasure Rapunzel as my child." She looked lovingly at Rapunzel, a gentle motherly smile on her face.

Reynard scowled, observing the others. Rapunzel was smiling back happily at the Kidnapper, though he could see something bothering her underneath it all. Fitzherbert had a shadowed face, but kept a neutral expression. Something was clearly bothering him as well. Maximus shrugged while Pascal merely rolled his eyes, if that was even possible for a chameleon. Just as the seneschal was, Lukas was scowling at the woman. Meanwhile, the Royal guards all exchanged anxious glances. Reynard locked eyes with Johnathan, noting the pained look in the Lock Guard's eyes.

"What happened next?" Reynard asked Gothel uncomfortably, interrupting the family moment. To his surprise, the Lost Princess answered instead.

"The tower couldn't conceal everything the outside world held. Every year on my birthday, I would sneak downstairs at night to watch the lanterns float into the sky." Rapunzel explained with amazement. "To see the floating lanterns up close became my dream. Finally, the day before my eighteenth birthday came. That morning, I painted my dream onto the wall of the tower, prepared to ask Mother if she could take me to see them."

The princess turned to look at Fitzherbert, and Reynard could see the look of pure love pass between them. It was a look that softened his heart towards the thief and the princess, one that he had rarely ever truly seen. He hoped that what they had between them would work out happily instead of the tragic end most criminals had. After all, a seneschal could only do so much in court. However, his train of thought was broken when Rapunzel continued.

"I guess that's where it all started, three days ago."

* * *

**The Lock Guard concept belongs to bStormhands, and with permission, I was allowed to use the concept. Thank you bStormhands for letting me use such an awesome guard force. Anyway, a****n extra long chapter! Watch for Chapter Seven: It's long and currently being edited. So expect an update soon. ****Please take the time to read and review. I would really like to hear your opinions of the story thus far. **

**There are three references to two other Disney Movies/Legends. Can you guess where they are and who they are referring to?**

**[EDIT: Chapter Six has been beta-ed as of ****4-25-2014]**  


**Acknowledgements:**

**Thank you toystorylover for your favorite! I hope you continue to look forward to the next chapter! Thank you Elizabeth1401 and JadeRoseStar for following. I hope I don't disappoint! **

**To my awesome Beta ****Wolfram-and-Hart-Sauron for keeping up with me even though you have projects and real life to deal with! Sorry about the two extremely long chapters. I bow to you with much gratitude. **

**- Kenna Cat**


	7. Explore The Tangles To Miss The Knots

**Disclaimer: Tangled belongs to Walt Disney Pictures.**

* * *

**_Flashback - Bold and Italics_**

"Speech" - Double Quotes

_'Thoughts' - Italics and Single Quotes _

_"Singing and Animal Speech" - Italics and Double Quotes_

Narration - Nothing

* * *

**To Repair Twisted Knots**

**Chapter Seven: Explore The Tangles To Miss The Knots **

* * *

"I guess that's where it all started, three days ago." Rapunzel began.

Eugene discreetly sighed as she started. He had a feeling he would be the one going next, but talking about the morning of Flynn's heist wasn't something he was exactly comfortable with. He shifted, but winced when he twisted one of his sore muscles the wrong way. The trip from the tower to the palace had progressively made his body ache more, leaving most of his energy spent on trying to stay awake. A light tap against his leg distracted his thoughts. He turned to look up at Captain Lukas — he finally learned his name from the introductions — wondering what the man wanted.

"You okay there?" The captain whispered.

"Just sore. You heard what Doctor Griffin said. How about you?" Eugene murmured back.

"The occasional headache and some stress." Captain Lukas replied.

"Sorry about knocking you out back at the dam." Eugene quietly apologized.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but shouldn't you be worrying about yourself?" Lukas grumbled.

"Does getting knocked off a horse and hit with a frying pan a few times hurt? Because I'm pretty sure it does. You should be worrying about yourself, Captain." He argued back.

"And I'm not the one with a hundred bruises everywhere and sore to the point of exhaustion." Lukas countered.

Before he could retort, Rapunzel's voice stopped their argument. Her voice was bright and filled with excitement, making Eugene smile softly at her. He felt himself relax to the sound of her voice, ignoring the raised eyebrow Captain Lukas gave him. Flynn rolled his eyes at Eugene.

"The morning before my birthday, I did my usual morning lineup." She continued.

"Your morning lineup?" Seneschal Achterberg questioned.

"The stuff I always do between the time Mother wakes up in the morning to go out and the time she gets back." Rapunzel explained.

"Would you please expand on that?" Reynard prompted.

"Well, first I might play Hide-and-Seek with Pascal. Then open the skylight, of course. It usually starts from seven A.M." Rapunzel started, giving a glance Pascal. The chameleon gave a thumbs-up and a chirp of approval. Eugene had a feeling of where this was going and smiled playfully. Flynn groaned, giving an exasperated sigh.

"What-" The seneschal asked, but was cut off by Rapunzel as she jumped from the chair. Cheerfully, she started singing.

"_Seven A.M., the usual morning lineup._  
_Start on the chores and sweep 'til the floor's all clean._  
_Polish and wax, do laundry, and mop and shine up._  
_Sweep again, and by then it's like 7:15!_

_And so I'll read a book,_  
_Or maybe two or three…_  
_I'll add a few new paintings to my gallery.  
I'll play guitar and knit,_  
_And cook and basically…_  
_Just wonder when will my life begin?_

_Then after lunch it's puzzles and darts and baking,_  
_Paper mache, a bit of ballet and chess,_  
_Pottery and ventriloquy, candle making._  
_Then I'll stretch, maybe sketch, Take a climb, sew a dress!_

_And I'll reread the books_  
_If I have time to spare._  
_I'll paint the walls some more…_  
_I'm sure there's room somewhere._  
_And then I'll brush and brush,_  
_and brush and brush my hair…_  
_Stuck in the same place I've always been._

_And I'll keep wonderin' and wonderin'_  
_And wonderin' and wonderin'…_  
_When will my life begin?"_

She finished with a sigh as she looked out the windows to the midday sun. During the song, she had taken the hair in Eugene's lap while giving him a grateful smile and thrown it around the room in a circle around her. Eugene gazed at her affectionately, feeling Flynn's content smile for them. However, his smile dropped to a frown.

_'What's up with people and singing? Can't people just talk normally?'_ Flynn asked irritably.

_'I don't really mind it. It's nice to sing, relaxing and letting your emotions out in a song.'_ Eugene commented.

_'Not you too! Ugh. Just don't expect me to sing in this, because I don't sing.' _Flynn iterated.

_'You sang back at the Snuggly Duckling…' _Eugene brought up.

_'With twenty plus swords aimed at my head. I don't think even a frying pan could have made an argument there, Eugene.' _Flynn deadpanned.

_'And you sang seven lines. Was it really that bad?'_ Eugene nudged.

_'Yes.'_ Flynn replied firmly. Eugene sighed at the drama Flynn insisted on having.

He turned to look at the seneschal, noticing an amused smile on the man's face. Eugene smirked at that, knowing that it was hard to resist smiling at Rapunzel's bubbly nature. Suddenly, blonde filled his vision once again and he blinked up to see Rapunzel beaming at him. She was handing him back the hair, so he delicately replaced the hair back onto his lap. He flashed a smile back at her before she turned to sit back down. A small silence split the room, causing Rapunzel to fidget as the guards and the seneschal watched her with various looks of surprise. Meanwhile, he smiled softly at her like a love-sick puppy, not really minding how ridiculous he looked.

"That was lovely, Rapunzel." Gothel broke the silence first, causing Eugene to flinch.

"Yes, it was. You have a lovely singing voice, Miss Rapunzel." The seneschal added immediately after.

"Thank you." Rapunzel blushed. She looked cute, sitting there and fidgeting.

"Now then, please continue from before." Seneschal Reynard pushed.

"Well, Mother came home, and I asked her…" She trailed off, looking at Gothel. The mother made an encouraging gesture, letting Rapunzel explain what happened next. "I have a question first. Am I allowed to ask them?"

"Although most candidates usually do not ask, there are no particular rules that would deny such a request." Reynard formally stated, looking somewhat confused.

"Is there a lot of poison ivy, quicksand, cannibals, and snakes out there?" Rapunzel asked hesitantly.

"Rapunzel?" Gothel seemed shocked at the question.

"There are some, depending on the place. Corona is lucky to have less of all four of those as we are an island kingdom. However, the surrounding forest that Corona owns does have the natural amount of poison ivy, quicksand, and snakes. As for the cannibals, most have evaded every attempt at capture, such as the Blind Hag of the Candy House. They stay hidden in darker regions of every kingdom as they move from place to place." Reynard reported.

"I see. W-well, that's not too bad… I guess. And men with pointy teeth or large bugs?"

"Wha- Hm… Most people don't usually have pointy teeth. I currently cannot recall anyone particular that has pointy teeth. As for large bugs, I do know the Kingdom of Cloister occasionally encounters them. They come from the where the giants live above the clouds, but you supposedly need the magic beanstalk to even get up there." Reynard informed.

"Oh. What about… what about _the Plague_." Rapunzel asked spookily.

"Rapunzel, not all of-" Gothel replied before the seneschal interrupted.

"Although the issue is debatable, we do know that if you stay clean and avoid bug bites, you should be relatively safe. While we have not heard any news about it for the past century, it is best to be careful. Most nearby kingdoms do not have a problem with it. However, I have been informed by the Emperor of China that it has been ravaging through the southern parts of China as of late. He has warned us about incoming trade ships from the area, and precautions have been taken to limit the risk of infection." Reynard recounted.

"You should add the Arab World too." Eugene added. Everyone turned to him.

"What?" The seneschal enquired.

"Some regions in the Middle East have been getting the Plague too." Eugene repeated.

"How do you know this?" Reynard demanded. Eugene cast his eyes away, letting Flynn explain instead.

"As the Cap here can tell you, thieves have contacts to keep information about potential heists updated. Potential claims on steals, objects already been stolen, new thieves in the area, and clients searching for underhanded deals. The Stabbington Brothers have a different set of clients, ones I don't really like to interact with. So I'm not sure if they have the same information, but one of mine from there sent word of the Plague sprouting in the area." Flynn revealed.

"Who's your contact?" Captain Lukas asked this time.

"He's a pretty decent guy who gets in as much trouble with his partner as I do because of the strict laws over there. Haven't heard from him in a while after his last bread heist, so I'm not really sure what he's up to." Flynn locked eyes with the Captain, sending him a stubborn look. The thief wasn't going to reveal his contacts anytime soon; most of them were decent guys just trying to make a living on the streets. Captain Lukas glared back, but let the issue drop.

The seneschal coughed. "I believe we have gotten a bit side-tracked here. Please explain why you asked those questions, Miss Rapunzel."

"Rapunzel, although those things exist out there, not many of them exist here in Corona. I just didn't want you to leave so soon." The woman explained tenderly, finally getting a word in.

"Oh…" Rapunzel looked conflicted. She looked towards Eugene, and he gave an assuring nod. He disliked that Gothel would only point out the evil in the world, but kept his mouth shut.

"Would you like to fill us in, Miss Rapunzel? Madam Gothel?" The seneschal asked gently, but he could hear the cold edge in it. However, neither Rapunzel nor Gothel seemed to notice it.

"Well… I asked Mother if I could go see the lanterns, but she told me all of those things existed outside of the tower. I-I just wanted know if they actually exist. Unfortunately, they do… But at least not a lot of it!" Rapunzel finished quickly.

"I see…" The seneschal glanced at Gothel suspiciously.

"Anyway, she asked me not to leave the tower, so I agreed. She then went back out to get parsnips for my favorite, hazelnut soup. I was staring out the window after her, letting my hair blow in the wind outside. After pulling it back in, I started brushing my hair again since it got a bit tangled. And then, well…" Rapunzel trailed off as she looked towards him. He sighed.

"I guess it's my turn, huh? Do I really have to explain the heist?" Eugene complained.

"For the betterment of the security in Corona, we would like to hear it." Reynard looked at him dully. He turned to Flynn, begging him to speak.

"Fine. But you guys should really change the patrol schedules more often." Flynn began. "The request came from a client of the Stabbington Brothers. They had approached me for help because they needed someone who could get around the guards without getting caught."

"Wait. Do you know who the client was?" The seneschal urgently asked.

"Sorry, no. I never found out who the client was because only two things happen whenever I partner up with them: they get caught with the loot, or I steal the loot off them without them knowing. I was planning on ditching them for good after this particular heist because the nervous feeling I got whenever they mentioned their clientele was really starting to irk me."

"I see. Continue." Reynard deflated.

"So, for about a month, I tracked each guard's patrol schedule and perimeter. Blind spots, time between guards, entrances into the castle, number of guards situated in each room, and possible escape routes. The morning of the heist, we approached from the east side." Flynn made a sweeping motion followed by sneaking gestures. Eugene sulked as Flynn recounted the tale. He found it awkward listening to the theft of the Crown of the Lost Princess, the very one that belonged to Rapunzel.

"Getting onto the roof wasn't too hard, though we had a close call with the one of the gardeners. The woman had a good sense, and if I hadn't pushed Dan under an ivy lace, we would've been caught. Using the inner chimneys as a set of jump stairs, we reached the roof. Hidden in the shadows, we scaled the top until we reached the tiles above the Crown Room." Flynn continues, wiping imaginary sweat off.

"I took the time to enjoy the view, because it's a _really_ good view. But we had a heist to do, so the brothers lowered me down. I snatched the Crown when one of the guards sneezed. I just had to make some sort of witty comment then and there, causing the guards to notice us." Flynn smirked, making grabbing motions. "Thankfully, the Stabbingtons are fast with their hands, and we scaled down the roof in record time. We were over the bridge by the time the Royal Guards were dispatched, and to think it was only eight in the morning."

"We were running through the forest, and I was trying to come up with ways to ditch the brothers. Though we were stuck in a valley, we stopped by some wanted posters to catch our breaths. By the way, why can't the wanted posters ever get my nose right?" Flynn dubiously asked.

"Unfortunately, I cannot answer that. Your poster looks correct whenever we review the bounties. Nevertheless, between the meeting and the printing, someone always changes it. By then, it is too late to change it back, so the High Magistrate stamps it regardless." The seneschal answered. Flynn pouted. Eugene wondered who was tampering with the posters and why, though he could not find a reasonable answer except for petty revenge against Flynn's crimes.

"Whatever. The guards spotted us from a cliff, so we started running again. And voila! The solution to my problems appeared right around the corner." Flynn flashed his arms outward. "We were boxed in, both sides towered by tall cliffs. I asked them to give me a boost, which they did after I handed them the satchel. But I'm not a master thief for nothing, so I stole it back from them and left them hanging."

"Don't you mean, 'left them to be _hung_'?" Captain Lukas joked. Flynn, however, did not find it amusing and rolled his eyes. The pun only served to remind him how close he and Flynn had been to the same fate.

"_Anyway_, just when I finally got the upper hand, the guards show up. Obviously, they started chasing me, shooting at me with their crossbows." Flynn aimed imaginary arrows around the room. "But I shook everyone off except for Cap by jumping through trees and making sharp turns. As a thief, you got to be aware of your surroundings at all times. There happened to be a conveniently placed vine ahead of me, so I used it to swing around and knock Cap off Max."

Eugene heard Captain Lukas growl and Maximus snort.

"Would _you_ like to add anything, fleabag?" Flynn deadpanned.

Maximus neighed furiously. "_What did you call me?! Why you! You were the one who launched the satchel over the cliff!_"

"Yeah, well, I wasn't the one who stomped hard enough to break the tree."

"_Because you wouldn't stop trying to get the Crown!_" Maximus glared, retorting with another angry response.

"Uhuh, and the dam?" Flynn asked dully.

"Could someone please explain?!" Reynard aggressively cut in, causing Flynn and Maximus to whip their heads in his direction. Eugene sighed at their antics. Although he and Maximus were on somewhat friendly terms, Flynn was on _barely_ tolerable terms with the horse.

"I forgot that not many people understand horse." Eugene commented.

"Come again?" Seneschal Reynard and Captain Lukas simultaneously spoke.

"Max is a smart horse. He can technically speak, even if they aren't words that come from his mouth." Eugene gestured to Maximus who held his head proudly.

The seneschal blinked, asking with a scowl in his voice, "How am I supposed to get a testimony from a horse?"

"I can translate!" Rapunzel volunteered cheerfully.

"Very well. Please carry on." Reynard switched looks between the three of them.

_'Can you at least try not to antagonize Max, Flynn?' _Eugene turned to Flynn.

_'I'll try, but he started it first. If he didn't snort, this wouldn't have happened.'_ Flynn exhaled.

"Where were we?" Flynn started back up. "Oh, right. I had knocked off Capt. and I had been expecting Max to continue, but that didn't turn out so well. He stopped almost immediately."

"Well, I wasn't going to help a thief, you know." Maximus snorted as Rapunzel started to translate.

"Yeah, unfortunately. And we still managed to launch the satchel just by wrestling for it." Flynn scowled.

"Over a cliff?" Rapunzel repeated in shock when Maximus huffed.

"Onto the very end of a tree." Flynn added. "We went to get it, but we took a while since we kept tripping each other. Max got to the tree first, and I tried to jump over him but grabbed his head instead."

"Which was very uncomfortable." Rapunzel mock scolded simultaneously with Maximus' whinnies.

"Hey! You shook me off! I had to hug the underside of the tree just to save myself from falling. And then you tried crush my hands!"

"You dodged all of it. What are you complaining about?" Maximus brayed while Rapunzel repeated.

"Doesn't change the fact that you still did it. Nonetheless, I managed to get the satchel first, which I gloated for about two seconds. Why? Because the tree broke, so we both ended up falling down anyways." Flynn shrugged while Maximus rolled his eyes. "A rock made it split in half, and we got separated. I hid behind a rock while Max searched for me. I was about to sneak away when my hand fell through a curtain of ivy. There was a cave behind it, so I hid in near the entrance until Max passed. However, when the back of the cave opened into a clearing, what I saw was not what I expected. In the middle of the clearing stood a tall, elegant tower."

_'Your turn.'_ Flynn said to Eugene when he finished.

"Where is the tower located, if I may ask?" The seneschal picked up, narrowing his eyes at Gothel.

"It's about a day and a half's walk from here if you're walking leisurely. You can get there in half a day if you really tried. You have to go around the valley, jump through a tree, and travel down the hill. You'll miss it if you aren't specifically looking for it, but it's located past a small pile of boulders next to a clearing." Eugene replied.

"You really will miss it, Reynard. When my men were following his trail, it looked like he just ran straight into a wall and disappeared." Lukas added, pointing to Eugene.

Reynard nodded, and turned towards Gothel. "You will be required to show us this tower at a later date, Madam Gothel."

"Very well." The mother replied.

"So, going back out, I quickly snatched two arrows from the ground. Max probably dropped them when we fell off the cliff. Using the arrows, I scaled the tower and made it to the window, which was thankfully open." Eugene told as he pounded the air. Despite his stiff muscles, he wanted to tell the best story he could. He noticed Maximus had gone awfully quiet, bot continued on. "I closed the window, thinking that the tower was abandoned. The last thing I remember was looking into the satchel before Rapunzel hit me over the head."

"Sorry, Eugene." Rapunzel responded. Everyone chuckled a bit while he slightly sulked.

"It's fine. So what happened next?" He asked.

"I first checked if you were really unconscious. You were. But your hair was covering your eyes. Anyway, Pascal asked me to check for pointy teeth." Rapunzel explained as Pascal chirped. "You didn't have any, so I flipped up your hair. I… _guess_ you could — kind of, not really — say it was love at first sight? It was just my first time seeing anyone beside Mother, so seeing another person fascinated me. I was more scared though, because you woke up so fast that I hit you another time."

"I guess that's why I don't remember the second time you hit me much." Eugene mumbled.

"Sorry." She apologized sheepishly. "I'm sorry about stuffing you in a closet too." She smiled shyly.

"How in the world did you squish my fingers anyway?" He questioned as he slowly flexed his fingers.

"Well, I… I pushed you in with a broom." Everyone stifled a laugh. "And half-kicked you in before closing the door really quick. But your fingers got caught, so I, um, I just popped them in."

His face fell wondering what entity up there had it in for him. He probably deserved it anyway, but still. Groaning, he prompted, "And after you got me in?"

"I used a chair to keep you from getting out. Then I saw the satchel and the crown. Funny how that worked out in the end, huh?" She shrugged.

"The irony was not lost on me." Eugene nodded.

"Anyway, I was trying it on, but Mother had come back. So I quickly stuffed both in a pot and pulled Mother back up. When she yelled at me for trying to convince her to let me go out of the tower before I could show her that I stuffed a person in my closet, I just… I just went quiet."

"I'm sorry. I guess I really was the bad guy." Gothel remorsefully spoke.

"I-it's okay, Mother. Anyway… I still wanted to go see the lanterns, so I thought of an idea to get there. I told Mother I wanted the paint made from the white shells she brought me once. I knew it was going to take three days for her to get them, and that would be more than enough time for Eugene to take me to the lanterns and back before Mother came home." Rapunzel spoke with a pained voice. "She agreed, and I packed her enough food for the trip before she left. Once she was out of sight, I pulled away the chair, hid behind it, and used my hair to open the door. He… kind of fell on his face."

"I what?!" He shouted.

"And slid on the floor." She mumbled quickly.

"I-I'm just… I'm just not going to be surprised anymore…" He sulked.

"Sorry!"

"Just keep going…"

"Right. Well, I tied you to a chair and Pascal tried to wake you up. He tried slapping you several times, but nothing happened, so he…"

"He stuck his tongue into my ear. You know, I can still feel that disgusting feeling, right?"

"I didn't know. Are you all right?"

"I'll be fine. Anyway, I woke up to find myself tied up by… hair. You know, even after all this time, saying it out loud like that still sounds really strange." Eugene mused. "Then she called out from a beam, hiding in the dark, so I couldn't really get a good look at her. I was really confused at the time, and my head was still kind of fuzzy, so I didn't catch much of what she said at the beginning."

"Your head was fuzzy?" She asked concerned.

"Eh, it was a little. Anyway, when she did step into the light… I guess it- Ha, I don't know. She looked beautiful, but the frying pan in her hand wasn't making me feel all that comfortable, especially since I couldn't really move. When I briefly began explaining how I got there, I realized my satchel was gone. She told me she hid it, and that I would never find it. But when I guess where it was correctly…" He trailed off, looking away.

"What happened when you guessed correctly?" The seneschal sternly asked.

"I thwacked him with a frying pan. Again." Rapunzel looked away as well. Everyone just glanced between them.

"Where was it originally?" The captain asked this time.

"In a pot." Eugene bluntly replied. "Where'd you hide it after?"

"Under the board of the most bottom step of the stairs." She replied.

_'Under the stairs… I should've known.'_ Flynn grumbled.

"I see. Anyhow, Pascal judged that I should get another tongue to the ear, which was still _really_ uncomfortable. After I woke up, she started asking me what I wanted to do with her hair, and honestly? I just wanted to get out of it and get the heck away from the tower in general. She looked very surprised at that."

"I was under the impression that pretty much everyone knew about my magic healing hair and wanted to cut it or sell it, or do something horrible with it." She returned.

"When I told her I was simply being chased, saw the tower, and climbed it, Pascal did this weird staring thing. Even now, I'm not really sure what that was…"

"Pascal just wanted to see if you were telling the truth, Eugene. And since you were, I decided to trust you."

"A horrible decision, really."

"To take me to see the lanterns, because I was sure that Fate, Destiny…"

"A horse…"

"Brought us together so that he could take me to see the lanterns that I felt were for me all along." Rapunzel finished. They smiled at each other, sharing a small inside joke. The seneschal looked at them neutrally, but with a glint in his eyes. However, the Captain just glared down at him. Everyone else just seemed more confused than anything else.

"Anyway, I convinced him to take me there."

"Threatened." Eugene coughed.

Ignoring him, she continued, "The deal was that he would take me there and return me home safely in exchange for his satchel. I promised him, and when I promise something, I never _ever_ break that promise. _Ever_."

"And then she proceeded to break my Smolder." Eugene added, though he found that he wasn't all that mad about it. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

"I still don't get what the Smolder is." She commented.

"Don't worry about it."

"But-"

"Ignore it. You won't be seeing me doing it again anytime soon."

"Why?"

"I just said you broke it."

"Oh…"

"Hey, it's fine. It wasn't all that important, Rapunzel." Eugene gently comforted.

"If you say so…" She looked uncertain. When he smiled though, she believed him and smiled back warmly. The occupants of the room were all looking at them weirdly. They both smiled sheepishly.

"Hey, do you want us to gloss over some of the details? Because we still have a long way to go…" Eugene posed.

"No, continue as you are. For official records, scribes have been called to transcribe this entire conversation. Therefore, you will not be required to explain every little detail again later." The seneschal answered.

"Oh, okay." He nodded. "Continuing on, after she untied me, I started climbing down again with the arrow I used to get in. When I asked her if she was coming, she comes swopping down using her hair as a rope. It seemed a lot more convenient than the arrows, but she stopped just before she hit the grass. She was staring at it for a moment before she slowly let herself down. Then she started singing."

"I was just so excited! My life had finally begun. I could feel the grass under my feet, the summer breeze through my hair, the water running through my toes. I just wanted to see and feel everything past the walls of my tower, so I started singing and running out of the clearing. Now that I look back, I probably should have waited for Eugene." Rapunzel confessed.

"I'll say. I tried calling out to you, but you didn't seem to hear me. When you bounded out of the cave, I was sorely tempted to just jump the rest of the way down, but I saw your hair stop. That was the only thing that kept me from just chasing after you." Eugene sighed.

"Sorry for switching between extremely happy and extremely worried. You probably had a hard time dealing with it, huh? I was just so torn between finally being outside and wondering what would happen if Mother ever found out that I forgot to consider how you felt."

"It wasn't really all that much of a problem, really. I mostly just let you sort out your feelings when you went to the pond, explored the cave, ran down the hills of flowers, and climbed the trees. I was just more annoyed about the whole situation to really be bothered by your feelings at the time. I guess we were both just being inconsiderate of each other at the beginning."

"Huh. I didn't know that. I guess we were."

"It's all right; we just met each after all. Even so, I was fed up with watching you run all over the place. I tried convincing you to just give me back my satchel. That obviously didn't happen and I thought I was going to get another frying pan to the head when the bushes rustled. A bunny jumped out, which was pretty normal. You grappling me was a bit awkward though." Eugene rubbed his arm uneasily.

"I thought that ruffians and thugs were going to jump out." She apologetically explained. "And then I guess you had an idea to try to scare me back to the tower, because you took us to the Snuggly Duckling."

The seneschal and the captain glared at him. He cast his eyes away in shame.

"Now it's my turn to apologize. You had inadvertently told me you were afraid of ruffians and thugs, so I thought that bringing you there would scare you back. Thankfully, the thugs there cared more about the reward on my head than you. I'm just glad you're safe and you managed to make new friends there." He smiled kindly at her. Rapunzel smiled brightly back.

"I know! I know. Oh, the Pub Thugs were so nice and sweet! They all had wonderful dreams and were such big sweethearts. You even shared your dream even though you said you didn't sing." She giggly revealed.

"Yeah… Well, hearing 'Flynn Rider' doesn't particularly scream the word song at you." Eugene replied as he heard Flynn scoff.

"What was his dream?" Reynard chose to callously interrupt.

"Huh? Oh, um, Eugene wanted an own an island somewhere warm and sunny, surrounded by piles of money?" She recalled uncertainly.

The guards and the seneschal all turned to scowl at him, but he merely shrugged in response. That wasn't his dream. Heck, it wasn't even Flynn's real dream. He never had a dream until recently, while Flynn's dream would just get skeptical looks, so they had come up with a fake dream to boast about to others. A fake reputation was all he had at the time, after all.

He cleared his throat. "After everyone finished singing and getting along, the Pub Thug that went to get the guards came back. So we hid under a counter, the one you just happened to pound, Captain."

"I can't believe the thugs were hiding you." Captain Lukas groaned.

"You can thank Rapunzel for that." Eugene remarked. "Um, what happened to them anyway? Are they all right?"

"We captured them and put them in one of our large cells. They didn't put up any fight, and they told us they only broke you out for the girl." The captain revealed. "Considering the most recent events, they will probably be released once the paperwork gets cleared."

"Oh, I'm so glad they're okay." Rapunzel joyfully replied.

"That's great." Eugene sighed with relief at the same time.

"I see." Gothel's icy tone suddenly broke through, her dislike as clear as air.

Her voice reminded him of too much too quickly, causing headaches and confusion to hit him all at once. There were things he couldn't really remember — didn't want to remember — fighting for his attention. His body tensed, coiling in on itself. Flashes of the tower, the tiles on the floor, and shards of mirror mixed with the sights of the palace walls, the smooth flooring, and the large hanging banners. His breathing started getting harder as he clutched his head, desperately trying to hide himself in the blonde hair on his lap. He forced himself to calm down with much effort, push everything away, block out the sounds within his head, the whispers from the shadows that plagued his mind.

When he opened his eyes, he hoped no one saw his panic attack. Luckily, no one was looking at him; everyone was focused on the mother. He took a few moments to recompose himself during the distraction. Eugene couldn't help but wonder why only Gothel's stern tone caused a panic attack, but he had a hunch that it had to do with the moments before he nearly died that he couldn't remember clearly. He tuned into the conversation again. Maximus was braying, being translated by Rapunzel while the Mother alternated between the neighs.

"I had gone back to the tower once I saw that the horse had no rider." Gothel explained. "After finding the satchel with the wanted poster, I went to hunt down Rider. I arrived at the Snuggly Duckling listening to their song, and I felt anger when I heard Rapunzel sing how happy she was to be away from the tower. I had thought they had caused it, and therefore, my reason for my dislike."

Maximus neighed while Rapunzel translated, "Well, I followed Rider's scent and got to the Snuggly Duckling after I met the mother by accident. I sniffed out the secret passage, and all of us went through it."

"Meanwhile, one of the drunken thugs had wandered out while those brother thugs escaped. I threatened him to tell me where the passage lead out and he did so easily. I knocked him out and started traveling toward the exit." Gothel continued.

"I see." Reynard acknowledged. Turning to Rapunzel and Eugene, the seneschal prodded, "What were you two doing at the time?"

"Oh, um, I guess we were talking about backstories?" She replied questionably.

"Well, we didn't really share those all that much until after. I didn't want to share mine, and she didn't want me asking about the hair or the mother. I was too freaked out to ask about the chameleon either, and my question ended up being tied to the first two." He elaborated.

"Thankfully, the guards and Maximus showed up, but we had to run away at the time. We ended up on a high ledge where a ladder ran down to the bottom. But then the Stabbington Brothers broke through one entrance, then the Captain and his guards came from behind, followed by Maximus. I gave Eugene my frying pan to defend himself and used my hair to swing to a nearby ledge." Rapunzel continued.

"I watched her swing, and I have to admit, I was a bit envious of her at first. She was on another ledge while all I had was a frying pan. Who know frying pans could make such effective weapons? Oh, and sorry about knocking you out, Captain."

"I can't believe a sword can't beat a kitchen utensil." Lukas groaned.

"Well, I didn't want to get stabbed, so I just tried to defend myself. But then I had a swordfight with Maximus, and I told him that this was the strangest thing I had even done. I was caught up in the moment when I said that, because now I remember that there's been stranger stuff I seen. Anyway, Max knocked the pan away from me. But then Rapunzel snagged my hand with her hair, so I jumped off the edge and away from Max."

"_I still can't believe you saluted me._" Maximus neighed. Neither Rapunzel nor Eugene bothered to translate it, opting to just shrug.

Rapunzel started again, "I was holding on to my hair so that Eugene wouldn't fall, but then the Stabbington Brothers were there aiming swords at Eugene. He climbed while I pulled, and he managed to dodge them. However, he was too busy taunting them and hit a wooden beam straight in the stomach. I winced, but turned when I heard a booming sound behind me."

"When I caught my breath and climbed into the water cannel, I saw Maximus kicking one of the beams for the dam, which by the way wasn't a really good idea." Eugene scolded.

Maximus neighed, "_I needed to get over there somehow._"

"Can someone _please_ translate?" Reynard interrupted bitterly.

"Oh, right. He said he needed to get over to the other ledge somehow." Eugene tentatively supplied. "Anyway, the beam fell, and Max started crossing it. I didn't want her to get caught because who knew what the guards would do to her since she was caught associating with someone like me. I wasn't' sure, and it wasn't something I wanted to risk, so I called out for her to jump. Somehow, the thought that I might never get the satchel back if she got caught never even crossed my mind. My only thought at the time was to get her away from the guards and Max."

"And I jumped…" She replied a bit shakily, causing him to furrow his eyebrows. "I have to admit I was scared. What if he didn't hold onto my hair tight enough? What if I'm too heavy and I drag him down? Does he even know how to properly set and handle my hair? What if Maximus bit my hair? What if it gets snagged? How much would it hurt? But I didn't have much time to question myself because Maximus was getting closer and closer…"

Eugene looked back at her in shock.

"I didn't know. I just tried copying what I saw you do with me. I didn't know that jumping could potentially hurt you. Sorry, there were just too many things going on at the time so I acted on instinct."

Maximus neighed an apology, which Rapunzel accepted with a hug. She turned back to Eugene.

"I didn't know that you were thinking about what would happen if we were to get caught. What would have happened if we did get caught?" Rapunzel asked.

"Um, best case scenario, they realize you are the Lost Princess. Worst case scenario? Um, I think you would just get off with a warning, maybe, as a hostage or something." Eugene replied uncertainly. He saw Lukas consider the possibilities and give a confirming nod.

"What about you?" She asked curiously. He frowned and didn't respond. "Oh…"

"What happened after?" The seneschal sighed, nudging the conversation forward

"Once we woke up, we saw the girl running towards one of the exits with the Stabbington Brothers chasing after her. Then, Fitzherbert slid down the canal, broke it half-way down, and managed to get back on the ground safely. At first, I was seething from losing another chance to capture him, but the dam broke and all I could focus on was getting out of the water. I lost track of my men, but we managed to regroup. We couldn't find Maximus afterwards though." Lukas answered instead.

"Meanwhile, Rapunzel and I were running from the water. The force of the incoming wave was so strong that one of the pillars of rock started falling on top of us." Eugene picked up, making motions of a rock slowly falling down. "We were pumping our legs as hard as we could. All the while we saw the shadow loom over us threateningly, but we just made it through one of the exits. I saw the frying pan, grabbed it, and bolted away just as the rock came crashing down with a thundering boom! Water began filling up the cave quickly, and we were trying to find a way out. I went under to try to find an exit while she tried prying away rocks from above, but it was pitch-black down there. We thought it was all over, and she apologized for starting this whole adventure. She was crying, and I felt I had to do something to try and comfort her, so I told her my real name."

Rapunzel smiled softly at him.

"And I told him that I had magic hair that glows when I sing. Telling him happened to be our way out because it lit up the cave while we were underwater. We saw my hair being sucked towards a certain part of the cave, and we began digging the rocks away. Even though the light went out, Eugene managed to get through and push the rocks away. We were shot out of the cave and into a stream, but we were alive! When we got back to the shore, I told him that my hair did more than just glow. I planned on healing his hand, which got cut while he was trying to push the rocks away."

"Yeah, Pascal wasn't really being helpful with the smiling." He chuckled. "By the way, does anyone know what happened to the Stabbington Brothers after the dam broke? Because they just suddenly appeared on the shore that night."

"Ah. They happened to exit out the place the drunken thug told me about. After I overheard them talking about killing you, I tricked them into helping me get you. I offered revenge on Flynn Rider, and they immediately took it." Gothel replied to him.

"Oh… I see…" Eugene sighed. "Anyway, I made a campfire so that Rapunzel and I could dry off. Then she cryptically started wrapping her magic hair around my left hand."

"I told him not to freak out." Rapunzel continued. "Then, I started singing the Healing Incantation so that I could heal him. Now you know the reason why only his left hand was okay. I didn't know your entire body was sore at the time. I would have wrapped it around you."

"I doubt that would've made me feel comfortable…" He admitted unsurely.

"Yeah, I guess. You did freak out, after all." She sheepishly replied.

"Hey, I did not freak out!" Eugene shot back. She gave him a look. "I _almost_ freaked out. Pascal wasn't helping much either." He amended quietly.

She giggled, but deflated quickly. "Then I told him why I never left the tower."

"And I told her about Eugene Fitzherbert." He spoke quietly, leaning back on the armrest.

A silence fell over the chamber. Everyone was giving them imploring looks, waiting for them to elaborate. They didn't share; that particular conversation had been a heavy one, one that they weren't willing to share at the current moment, especially since starting the conversation again might open up old wounds. Eugene broke the silence first.

"I-it's a little bit of a downer…" Eugene muttered.

_'More like a lot of a downer, if that even makes sense.'_ Flynn corrected.

_'It… makes some sense.'_ Eugene remarked.

"Um. It's just… It's complicated." Rapunzel shrugged.

"Would you like to expand on that?" The seneschal delved. Rapunzel and Eugene both shook their heads. The man sighed, "I see. Could-"

Captain Lukas cut him off.

"Why not, _Fitzherbert_?" The captain retorted.

"Can we just skip this?" Eugene strained his voice, hoping Captain Lukas wouldn't press. Flynn really did mean what he said about backstories. Although he was fine revealing him name, sharing his past with strangers and people who never took the time to see past Flynn wasn't something he was comfortable in doing.

"Is there something you don't want to share?" The captain taunted.

"Yes." Eugene replied emotionlessly.

"What now? Does it have to do with your criminal record? Don't feel like sharing it now?" Lukas assumed. He didn't respond, not rising to the bait.

"It was nothing like that." Rapunzel boldly replied.

"What?" The captain turned to Rapunzel. Eugene shot a grateful look at her, and she gave a slight nod to him.

"I told him why I never left the tower and he told me about Eugene Fitzherbert. Just that and only that." She persisted.

"And what did he say about Eugene Fitzherbert?" The Captain forced.

"It's personal." Rapunzel huffed.

The seneschal broke the argument before it could escalate higher.

"Lukas. Please refrain from provoking Mr. Fitzherbert. Now then, I'm more curious about why didn't you leave the tower, Miss Rapunzel?" Reynard questioned.

"Um…" She started.

"It's personal." Eugene defended, locking eyes with the seneschal. Rapunzel smiled back at him.

The man closed his eyes and took a deep breath. With barely contained frustration, Reynard returned, "Very well. Though I would usually press an issue such as this, as neither of you are willing to disclose the information of the conversation, we will proceed forward."

"Thank you." Rapunzel replied appreciatively, causing the seneschal to slightly relax.

"After we finished sharing backstories, I went to go get firewood. Honestly, I spent half the time just staring at my left hand in awe and trying to wrap my head around the concept of magic healing hair that glows." Eugene started.

"While he was gone, Mother came to bring me back to the tower." Rapunzel revealed.

"Really?!" Eugene looked at her with wide-eyes. She nodded.

"And once again, I tried to convince her to go back to the tower. I knew she would refuse. Everything had been calculated into my plan, a plan that would lead to the deaths of Rider and the Stabbington Brothers whom I manipulated. Giving her the satchel with the crown, I challenged her into giving the crown to him before leaving to hide in the forest while she tried to tell me otherwise." Gothel followed.

"Thank you for your input, Madam Gothel." The seneschal grimaced at the mother.

"So that's where you got the satchel. I thought you hid it in your hair somewhere." Eugene commented to Rapunzel, trying to lighten the pained look on her face. That seemed to do the trick because she smiled shyly.

"When you came back, I hid it in a stump. Since we were both tired and I was stressed from being caught by Mother, we both decided to go to sleep." Rapunzel finished. Eugene didn't add that he stayed up a few extra minutes to whisper to the moon after she fell asleep. He also didn't admit how he was kind of envious of her blanket of hair.

"I woke up to the splash of dripping water on my face. Usually, I'm a light sleeper, but Max managed to loom over my face. He proceeded to drag me back to the kingdom, so I started yelling and grabbing anything that might slow him down." Eugene launched back into the conversation, ignoring the irritated snorts from Maximus. "Rapunzel woke up and managed to grab my hands. I have to say, the small tug-a-war they had with me wasn't the greatest feeling to have so early in the morning."

Eugene thought back to the scene, remembering Maximus pulling on his right boot. When his boot came off, he had been part terrified of the horse and part relieved that the horse didn't grab the left boot initially. He discreetly reached down to brush his left leg, making it look like he was rubbing out a sore muscle. As his hand brushed the large scar that ran down his calf under his clothes, he sighed and turned back to Rapunzel.

"Oh! Right, well, I calmed Maximus down. It took a few tries, but Maximus really is just a big sweetheart." She continued, hugging the horse's head. Maximus neighed happily. "So, I made Eugene and Maximus form a truce to tolerate each other for my birthday. Then, I heard the bells ringing from the distance. I was so excited to finally reach the city. Everything was so remarkable… until someone stepped on my hair."

"You have to admit that it's a lot of hair when it isn't braided." Eugene reflected. "I helped her gather it together, trying to find a way to make all that hair easier to move around. Luckily, there were four sisters that were braiding each other's hair by the fountain. I whistled to them, asking if they could braid Rapunzel's hair as well."

"Oh! They were so sweet!"

"Yes, they were." Eugene chuckled. "They were so excited, watching them was pretty cute."

"They braided my hair so that it would only reach my ankles and intertwined beautiful flowers in it! I loved it, even if it felt a bit heavier, I didn't really mind."

"It was beautiful." Eugene smiled, but stopped when he saw Maximus wiggling his eyes brows. Blushing, he replied, "Agh, stop it, Max."

The horse laughed while Rapunzel giggled and Pascal chirped. He, on the other hand, felt thoroughly mortified. The seneschal cleared his throat to gather attention. "Enough of that please. Continue where you left off."

"Alright, I'm just going to gloss over some details, but we went around the town doing some things. Looking at stalls, getting food — which I paid for, by the way — going to a bookstore, hiding from guards, eating cupcakes, taking a gondola ride around the city's canals, chalk drawing, dancing, and some other things." Eugene ticked off. Although she had dragged him all around the city, he had taken the time to let her explore while he planned for the evening activities. He had honestly wanted to make her birthday the best day she ever had.

"You also bought me a sigil flag of Corona's symbol." She added.

"And that too. The kid who was selling them was great." He recalled with a smile. "Anyway, I rented a small dinghy because I wanted her to get a decent view of the lanterns."

"It was an _amazing_ view, Eugene." Rapunzel insisted.

"Decent." He replied modestly. "Before I left the dock completely, I threw a bag of apples to Max. He didn't trust them at first, but I told him that I bought them. Most of them actually. I had originally given a large tip for the kind old man who sold them to me when I saw that his kid wanted some cakes but couldn't afford it. I tried to give back the extra apples he put in the bag, but the old man insisted that I take them."

"_That's what you meant?! I would have eaten all of them if I had known that!_" Maximus huffed.

Rapunzel laughed. "Did you eat all of them?" Maximus shook his head sadly, and Flynn couldn't help but smirk.

"Eugene rowed out until we were about halfway between the city and the shore. We could see the entire capital from where we were. I told him I was terrified, because I've wanted to see the lanterns my _whole_ life and I wasn't even sure if they were going to be everything I dreamed they'd be. Eugene assured me that they will, but I didn't even know what would happen after I accomplished my dream. Eugene told me that that was the best part and it was: I got to find a new dream." Rapunzel finished.

She locked eyes with him, and Eugene could feel the love behind them, so grand that words couldn't even describe it. He wondered if he would ever be able to reciprocate it, but the widening smile on her face told him that maybe, just maybe, he could. He returned a genuine smile, one he had only given to people he truly cared about.

'_Don't you dare…_' Flynn started, knowing what Eugene was thinking. Eugene completely ignored him.

Rapunzel started first.

(Rapunzel:)  
_"All those days watching from the windows,  
__All those years outside looking in,  
__All that time never even knowing,  
__Just how blind I've been._

_Now I'm here, blinking in the starlight._  
_Now I'm here, suddenly I see._  
_Standing here, it's all so clear._  
_I'm where I'm meant to be!_

_And at last I see the light,_  
_And it's like the fog has lifted._  
_And at last I see the light_  
_And it's like the sky is new…_  
_And it's warm and real and bright,_  
_And the world has somehow shifted._  
_All at once everything looks different…_  
_Now that I see you"_

Eugene picked up next. He didn't notice the looks of awe the others were giving them.

(Eugene:)  
_"All those days chasing down a daydream._  
_All those years living in a blur._  
_All that time never truly seeing…_  
_Things, the way they were_

_Now she's here shining in the starlight._  
_Now she's here, suddenly I know…_  
_If she's here, it's crystal clear._  
_I'm where I'm meant to go!"_

_'Someone kill me now.'_ Flynn groaned.

(Rapunzel and Eugene:)  
_"And at last I see the light…"_

(Eugene:)  
_"And it's like the fog is lifted."_

(Rapunzel and Eugene:)  
_"And at last I see the light…"_

(Rapunzel:)  
_"And it's like the sky is new!"_

_'You know, I was hoping you were trying to avoid singing 'cause you didn't sing when we talked about the Pub Thugs, but you just had to squash my hopes, didn't you?'_ Flynn deadpanned. The thief was still ignored.

(Rapunzel and Eugene:)  
_"And it's warm and real and bright_  
_And the world has somehow shifted._  
_All at once, everything is different,_  
_Now that I see you,_  
_Now that I see you..."_

Eugene and Rapunzel stared at each other for a long moment. His hand was intertwined with hers, gently caressing the warm hand of his new dream. If they were closer, he would have gone and kissed her. A gentle cough brought them out of their trance, and they quickly looked away from each other blushing. He noticed though that she hadn't let go of his hand, the grip tightening instead.

"Please give us a fair warning when you begin singing, Miss Rapunzel, Mr. Fitzherbert." Reynard gently but sternly implored.

"Sorry." They replied sheepishly.

"So what happened?" The captain nudged.

Rapunzel started with awe. "Oh! Well, the lanterns were all around us. They were so amazing, enveloping us with their warm and gentle light. It really was everything I dreamed of. Eugene even got these lanterns for us! We launched them into the sky along with the others, and they twirled around each other."

"I'm glad you liked them." Eugene commented. She smiled back at him.

"Then, I gave him back the satchel, but he just put it aside. W-we were going to kiss, but then…" She trailed off quietly, unfallen tears in her eyes.

Eugene gave a pained expression, falling silent as well. He felt her hand squeeze his, and he gently squeezed back, just reassuring each other that they were still there. They hadn't left, and their love wasn't a lie. He hated how he broke her heart just after sharing a moment together. The seneschal narrowed his eyes, as did Captain Lukas. The guards looked at each other confused, wondering what happened next. Everyone had been enthralled by the tale, and having it drop off like that left them unsettled.

Gothel sighed. "I will carry on with what happened to Rapunzel here."

Maximus neighed, interrupting her. Pascal was on the table, gesturing to one of the scribes to put some paper on the table. Once the paper was set with some ink, Pascal wrote with his tail.

"_I'll be translating for Maximus. He said he will continue for Eugene._" Pascal swiftly transcribed.

The seneschal's mouth formed a tight line, but he nodded for them to continue.

"I had sent the Stabbington Brothers to the shore with a green lantern, so that they could be easily seen from the boat. Rider saw them, rowing the boat to shore. I watched as Rider offer the satchel to them. But I had planted the idea of using Rapunzel as a slave in their head. They were too stupid to figure it out themselves, and I was going to betray them anyway. They punched Rider in the stomach before kicking him in the head. They used the rope I gave them to tie him to a boat along with the crown and pushed the boat toward the city, making it look like he had betrayed her." Gothel guilty reported, noticing the silent sobs Rapunzel made as the story continued. Eugene slumped further, using his thumb to rub circles over her hand.

"Why did you give the satchel to them, Fitzherbert?" The captain asked, though noticeably less harsh than usual.

"The Stabbingtons would have gotten caught anyway." He muttered. Lukas only nodded, thankfully not questioning his reasoning.

Maximus neighed. "_Meanwhile, I was waiting by the docks for Eugene and Rapunzel to return. However, I heard Eugene frantically calling for Rapunzel while the guards took him away with the Crown. I went over to investigate and found the Stabbington Brothers unconscious next to a large stick. I quickly brought them in, but I smelled a different scent I did not recognize. Rapunzel had gone with this other scent, and I had a bad feeling about it._"

"During the night, I had taken Rapunzel back home. We reached the tower by morning and she had been quiet for the length of the trip. I was pulling out the flowers in her hair and promised to make her hazelnut soup. She just quietly sat there, and I told her that she should have just stayed in the tower." Gothel alternated.

_"Originally, I had tried to track the trail, but after they crossed multiple rivers, I lost track of it. I didn't know where Eugene had found her, and I couldn't ask him since he had just been taken by the guards. So the only way to get Rapunzel back was to break him out of prison so that he could take me there. So I went to get the Snuggly Duckling Thugs to break them out. We had to play a few round of charades before they got my message._" Maximus filled in.

Eugene sighed, knowing that he would have to speak up.

"While I was in prison, I was too worried about Rapunzel to sleep." He started, causing the others to look in his direction. "I was pacing the floor when Captain Lukas came in haul me to the gallows. I briefly thought that I should've gotten a trial, but I was more concerned and confused about everything else. We passed by Mark and Crick, and I became furious. I pulled Mark through the bars, demanding him to tell me where he got the tip about the hair. He said the old lady told them, and the only people who knew about the hair were the Brothers, Rapunzel, me, and the mother. The mother was the only old lady who knew, and I realized Rapunzel was in far more danger with her mother than with us thieves."

Rapunzel sighed, and Eugene watched her muster up the courage to speak. She slowly let go of his hand to hug herself.

"When Mother left my room, I pulled out the sigil flag Eugene bought me. Pascal comforted me, and I lay back on bed to stare at the ceiling. However, I noticed a sun in my painting, the symbol of Corona. When I looked all around, they were everywhere. I-I had a vision then, about my cradle, my parents, the mosaic of the Lost Princess, and the crown on top of my head. It was so overwhelming, and I bumped into my vanity table. Mother noticed and started calling for me." She admitted.

Eugene continued as she paused.

"I tried telling the guards that she was in trouble, but they wouldn't listen to me. When I thought it was all over, I saw Vladimir's unicorn in one of the indents in the wall. I was confused on why it was there, but suddenly the door closed shut. I thought I heard Shorty, but then guards were suddenly disappearing, the chains on my hands were gone, and I was running away into the courtyard. Then Hook Hand put me on this cart while Vladimir launched me through the air. I landed on Maximus, and after an awkward moment, we dashed off to the tower." Eugene grew more solemn as he went, and he struggled to fight the whispers in his mind. The shadows danced at the edges of his vision.

"I confronted Mother about how I was the Lost Princess." Rapunzel picked up. "I found out that Eugene was going to die, that maybe he didn't leave on purpose, that Mother wasn't really my mother, and that I should have been hiding from her all along. My world was falling apart and I just _needed_ to get away from her. I told her she could never use my hair again, but when I turned my back… I was knocked out and gagged."

The captain and the seneschal glowered at Gothel, who looked down remorsefully. Eugene was now seriously struggling with the shadows that threatened to overtake him. As they grew closer to the moments before he was stabbed, he felt the exhaustion, the confusion, and the fear rush through him. The whispers in his ears were ringing louder and louder, but he painfully continued.

"I got to the tower, but I wasn't sure how Rapunzel would react to me after what happened. I-I went around the side of the t-tower and found an e-entrance. There were stairs, and I… I went up. Just as I entered, I had to dodge a knife… and barely managed to roll away."

Just as he finished, he slumped forward as everything went dark. He clutched his head, trying to orient himself. Everything felt like it was spinning, even though he knew it wasn't. He vaguely heard Rapunzel continue, and wished he was still holding her hand. The whispers, though muttering thankful words, sounded like sneers and tortured questions. He hated them, loathed them ever since they appeared five years ago. Flashes of scenes from the tower rushed back, but he couldn't process them. Pain shot through his chest and shoulder at the sight of Rapunzel bound and gagged, and he felt like someone had gouged out a part of him. Flynn tried to call him back, but his voice mingled with the ever growing whispers.

He realized someone was shaking him.

When he opened his eyes, the living room of the tower greeted him and he choked back a scream.

* * *

**A very long chapter. Sorry for the wait, guys or girls. So, this is basically a summary of the movie in Eugene's point of view with much commentary and interjections from the other characters. I hope you enjoy it and please look forward to Chapter Eight. T****ake the time to read and possibly review (Please). I would really like to hear your opinions.**

**There are four references to four other Disney Movies/Mythical Legends. Can you guess where they are and who they are referring to?**

**[EDIT: Chapter Seven has been beta-ed as of 5****-03-2014]**  


**Acknowledgements:**

**Thank you bStormhands for your lovely reviews and your favorite. I hope you enjoy the twists and turns the Tangled gang will have to go through to get their happy ending. I also hope that I do the Lock Guard justice. **

**Thank you (Guest) Skystorm for your review. Indeed, you guessed it right. While most stories I have read often refer to him as a part of a his personality, I wanted to take the idea of an actual separated mind. Please look forward to how this influences the story. **

**To my awesome Beta ****Wolfram-and-Hart-Sauron for editing my mediocre story. Sorry about the extremely long chapters, and I hope I don't make too many mistakes. **

**- Kenna Cat**


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